Jokowi, Sandiaga Uno Asked to Close Tourist Sites during Eid Holidays

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Awakening Party (PKB) Secretary for Social Movement and Disaster Affairs, Luqman Hakim, asked President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno to reconsider the policy on tourist attractions during the Eid al-Fitr holiday. He mentioned the recent crowds of visitors at Tanah Abang Market, Jakarta.

“To be clearer, I ask that all tourist attractions be completely closed during the Eid holidays, on May 6-17, 2021,” Luqman said in a written statement on Monday, May 3.

He was pessimistic that the government has enough officers to guard tourist sites and ensure that there are no violations of health protocols. The government could reopen tourism after Eid as long as it is able to ensure the protocol implementation.

“Taking preventive measures is much better than later having the situation out of control and Covid-19 tsunami as occurs in India,” Luqman asserted.

The dramatic surge in the number of visitors to Tanah Abang Market in Jakarta has also occurred in shopping centers in other regions as people try to complete their Eid holiday shopping.

On the one hand, the PKB politician considered this phenomenon as a stronger resilience of people’s economy, which was different from last year’s condition ahead of Eid al-Fitr with almost no economic activity in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, recent crowds in shopping centers were alarming given the potential for massive violations of the health protocols. “If it is out of control, there will be a dramatic spike in Covid-19 spread in the country,” Luqman said.

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