The travelers were made to stop at rest area KM 05 and checked for symptoms of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), officials said.
The rapid testing was directed at travelers heading to Semarang, the capital of Central Java province, through the Trans-Java toll road and was part of efforts to halt the potential spread of COVID-19 during the long weekend, acting Semarang Mayor Tavip Supriyanto said.
"This is an endeavor for halting a potential hike in new confirmed cases in the aftermath of this long holiday season,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, in West Java, the province's tourism and culture office conducted mass rapid tests at 54 tourist destinations in an attempt to break the chain of COVID-19 spread during the long weekend.
"The frontline health workers have been equipped with hazmat suits and rapid test kits. They are randomly serving the visitors. Those diagnosed with COVID-19 symptoms will be subjected to swab tests," head of the West Java Tourism and Culture Office, Dedi Taufik, stated.
All visitors headed to the 54 tourist destinations in West Java have been requested to take part in the rapid testing program to create a sense of security during their trip to the province, Taufik told ANTARA.
"We have also appealed to travelers to abide by the COVID-19 preventive measures as mandated in the government's health protocols," he said.
The long holiday can trigger a spike in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, as observed last Idul Fitri, when the daily and weekly count of confirmed cases rose between 69 and 93 percent within 10 and 14 days, he pointed out.
The Indonesian government has declared October 28 and October 30 this year as collective leave days, while October 29, which marks Prophet Muhammad's birthday, is also a public holiday.
As of October 26, 2020, the number of people recovering from COVID-19 in Indonesia had risen by 3,908, which took the total count of recoveries to 317,672, according to the national COVID-19 task force.
Meanwhile, Indonesia recorded 3,222 new COVID-19 cases, which brought the total tally of infections to 392,934, the task force informed.
With 112 more patients succumbing to the virus, the death toll reached 13,411.
Among the 34 Indonesian provinces, Jakarta reported the highest number of new recoveries at 1,162, along with 905 people testing positive for COVID-19 and 13 patients succumbing to the infection.
West Java reported 442 new recoveries, 431 new cases, and 15 deaths.
In Central Java, 303 people recovered from COVID-19, 156 people tested positive for the virus, and 16 people died of the infection.
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Translator: Immanuel CS, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
