"Ready sufficient number of officers to organize it. Do not allow the crowd to be left alone. We do not want cases (of COVID-19) increasing after the Eid al-Fitr holidays," Prasetiyani noted in a written statement here on Friday.
The DPR Commission IX member remarked that markets and malls were crowded with people, though most of them had not adhered to the health protocols.
Hence, the central and local governments should coordinate to monitor the implementation of health protocols in public places.
Prasetiyani pointed to the high level of public enthusiasm for shopping before this year's Eid al-Fitr, as though they no longer wanted to hold back after the government had urged them to stay at home last year to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"One of the factors that triggered the spike in cases in India was the congregation of thousands of people at the Kumbh Mela Festival. The conditions were the same as the surge in buyers at markets and malls in the country," she pointed out.
The commission member reminded the government of the potential spike in community tourism activities during the Eid holidays.
Prasetiyani noted that people banned from returning to their hometowns will most likely choose to travel to tourist attractions opened by the government.
"Local governments have to work hard to oversee the implementation of health protocols. Preparations must really be made in the wake of such possibility if the government does not want to see any emergence of clusters of COVID-19 transmission due to tourists," she remarked.
Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, had earlier urged the managers of tourist attractions in various regions to apply strict health protocols, so that COVID-19 cases do not spike after the Eid al-Fitr holidays.
"(Tourist attractions) that violate (health protocols) will be closed," Uno remarked during a press release on Wednesday.
The minister highlighted the significance of stringent application of health protocols, particularly during the Eid al-Fitr holidays during which crowding can potentially occur in various places in households, tourist attractions, and entertainment venues.
Uno expected that Indonesia will not face the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic like the one currently battering India.
"The president reminds us that every holiday and big mobility in the society will trigger a spike in the transmission of COVID-19. For instance, during last year's Eid al-Fitr holidays, when the number of COVID-19 cases increased by 93 percent and then jumped to 119 percent during the Christmas and New Year holidays. The Prophet's Birthday holiday also triggered a 95-percent increase in cases," he remarked.
The minister stated that the government had striven incessantly to edify and raise awareness of the Cleanliness, Health, Safety and Environment Sustainability (CHSE) program to ensure a better situation. The program will serve as a guideline for implementing health protocols for various activities, such as rafting, golf, meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), and other activities.
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Translator: M Razi Rahman, Katriana
Editor: Suharto
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