Govt Clarifies Statement on Free Vaccines for 'Mudik' Travelers
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11 May 2021 14:30 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi clarified his earlier statement which many interpreted that the government providing free vaccines for people traveling in this year’s Eid al-Fitr holiday mass exodus. He asserted that it meant to provide Covid-19 tests.
“The correct statement from the Transportation Minister is that he pitched to the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and the Health Minister to provide free Covid-19 tests for those traveling via land transport,” said Transportation Minister’s spokesperson Adita Irawati in Tuesday’s statement.
The initial statement by the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs said that Budi Karya suggested free vaccinations, which was criticized by many, including epidemiologists.
Moreover, the plan to hold free tests is the government’s attempt to control the spread of the pandemic as public mobility would skyrocket in the days before and after the Eid al-Fitr celebration.
Irawati said the ministry insists on intensive Covid-19 testing to be done in locations with the largest mass concentration such as in Madiun, Ngawi, Surabaya, Solo, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Cirebon, Jakarta, and Bakauheni.
Read: Indonesia Seeks to Vaccinate One Million People in June: Health Minister
FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA