COVID-19 Task Force Mulls Declaring Long Holiday in December

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chief of the Task Force for COVID-19 Response, Doni Monardo, is mulling the possibility of recommending long holidays at the end of this year.

“It is very likely we will recommend to the President to declare long holidays in December, provided the public abides by the health protocols,” he said at an online press conference here on Saturday.

The task force will assess the impact of long holidays on the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases by referring to the impact of long holidays in August and October this year, he informed.

He said a number of ministers, along with the relevant agencies, have also evaluated the impact of long holidays on the COVID-19 caseload.

“(I think what we have done) in the last holidays by making massive efforts to deliver messages to the public to abide by health protocols, have safe and comfortable vacation, stay at home, and avoid crowds has (produced) very good (results),” Monardo pointed out.

In the past one to two weeks after the long holidays in October, the number of COVID-19 cases has not been as high as that recorded after the holidays in September, he said.

The daily COVID-19 count has risen by 5,000 per day over the past two days, he said adding, the figure has outstripped the daily average for this month.

"The daily cases increased to 5,000. We all have to comply with all the health protocols issued by the government through the Health Ministry," he said.

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ANTARA