Govt to Revise National Holidays, Collective Leave Days due to Covid-19 Surge

TEMPO.CO, Bandung - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy said the government would rearrange national holidays and collective leave days to anticipate another spike in Covid-19 cases following the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

“We held a meeting yesterday chaired directly by the President to discuss holidays, both collective leave days and individual holidays, until December,” said Muhadjir in Bandung, Wednesday, June 16.

Muhadjir said the results will later be announced by the government. “What is clear, it has become the agenda of the government, in line with the President’s orders,” he said.

Accompanied by West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, Muhadjir monitored the Women and Children Hospital in Jalan Kopo Bandung, which is used as a Covid-19 referral hospital. 

Ridwan Kamil said the West Java government suggested the central government scrap the Eid al-Adha holiday. “Hopefully, this idea can be understood by the central government and Pak Minister,” he said on Wednesday.

Kamil said the current spike in Covid-19 cases was attributable to the impact of the Eid al-Fitr holiday. “Because, the performance of Micro PPKM [which is evident from] the hospital’s bed occupancy rate (BOR) is at its best during Eid prayers, at below 30 percent. Suddenly, everything falls apart because many neglect the homecoming ban. This is a lesson that if we obey, [Covid-19 cases] will be under control,” he underlined.

The Governor asserted that the key is the discipline in the Covid-19 health protocols. “Do not blame each other...No matter how vicious the virus variants are, the answer is the same, exercise stricter, stronger discipline and minimize unnecessary activities,” Ridwan Kamil said.

Read: Govt Assures of Free COVID-19 Vaccines for All

AHMAD FIKRI