With the COVID-19 situation under control, people will be able to carry out their activities as usual, but they should not give in to euphoria yet, spokesperson for the task force, Tjetjep Yudiana, said in Tanjungpinang on Tuesday.
There are only six active cases of COVID-19 in Riau Islands, five of which have been reported in Batam city and one in Karimun district, he informed. There are no active cases of COVID-19 in Lingga, Natuna, Anambas, and Tanjungpinang, he said.
"Although active COVID-19 cases have drastically decreased, there should not be a 2022 New Year's party that causes people to crowd/gather," he cautioned.
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Yudiana informed that the government is still pushing efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, even more so now that the Omicron variant has been detected in Singapore, which borders Riau Islands.
The Instruction of the Home Affairs Ministry Number 62 of 2021 regarding the prevention and control of the coronavirus disease 2019 at year-end has become the basis for this decision, he added.
The regulation details the requirements for domestic long-distance travel during the year-end holidays, he said. Everyone who travels to other areas or between islands is required to be fully vaccinated and carry a negative antigen result taken a maximum of one day before departure, he added.
Adults who have not received a complete COVID-19 vaccination or cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons are not allowed to travel long-distance, he said.
He informed that children may travel under stricter conditions: They are required to submit a PCR test result, which will remain valid for three days for air travel, or an antigen test result, which will remain valid for one day for land or sea travel.
"We urge residents to continue to adhere to the health protocols when traveling outside the area," he added.
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Translator: Nikolas Panama, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Suharto
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