The square will be closed from December 31, 2021, to January 1, 2022, Magelang city regional secretary Joko Budiyono informed in Magelang, Central Java on Monday.
The policy has been imposed in accordance with the Instruction of Home Affairs Minister number 66 of 2021 about the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 at 2021 Christmas and 2022 New Year, he said.
"Considering that currently, we are still facing the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with the appearance of the Omicron variant, which spreads faster, activities that cause crowds at Christmas and New Year's Day have been limited," he explained.
Traffic restrictions will be implemented starting 3 p.m. local time on December 31, 2021, until 6 a.m. local time on January 1, 2022, he informed. The transportation office will coordinate with the Magelang city police to enforce the traffic restrictions, he said.
"The culinary center and vendors at the square will be closed from December 31, 2021, to January 1, 2022. For cafés, a circular letter will be made in regard to operating hours and space capacity from the public order officers," Budiyono said.
Furthermore, stricter health protocols and monitoring will also be implemented in churches and places of worship and venues for Christmas celebrations, he added. The stricter rules will also apply to shopping areas and local tourist attractions, he said.
"Mount Tidar and Kyai Langgeng Park will be closed from December 31, 2021, at 7 a.m. local time until January 1, 2022, at 7 a.m. local time, then they will be opened according to the regulation of (limiting visitors to just) 75 percent of the available capacity," he added.
He urged the public to celebrate the New Year individually or with their families in order to avoid forming crowds. All forms of celebration involving parades have been prohibited, he said. This regulation also applies to managers of shopping centers or malls, he added.
He also called for optimizing the use of the PeduliLindungi application and meeting the requirements for long-distance travel using public transportation.
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Translator: Heru Suyitno, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
