Govt Mulls Reducing Year-end Holidays to Prevent COVID-19 Surge

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government is planning to cut short the 2020 year-end holidays to prevent a hike in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia.

“The President orders a reduction [in upcoming holidays] and asks us to hold a coordination meeting led by the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (PMK) with other related ministries and institutions,” said the PMK Coordinating Minister, Muhadjir Effendy, after today’s limited meeting with President Jokowi at the Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta.

The government made the announcement as the holiday season was just around the corner, beginning with Christmas and New Year's Eve. In addition, the previous collective leave days of Eid al-Fitr were moved to the end of the year, making this year’s long holidays even longer.

However, the government recorded that public compliance with the predetermined health protocols dropped during the long holidays.

COVID-19 mitigation task force spokesman Wiku Adisasmito said his side was monitoring the virus case development prior to making a decision on the upcoming long holidays. Albeit the decision is in the hands of the central government, Wiku said the task force had the authority to submit recommendations.

“If the public does not comply with the health protocols, thus leading to a hike in cases, that surely affects the government’s decision related to year-end holidays,” said Wiku in a press conference on Thursday, November 19, 2020.

Read: Ahead of Year-end Holidays, Tourism Ministry Asked to Prep Alternate Tourist Sites

EGI ADYATAMA