Yearend Holidays-The Use of Health Protocols Not Yet Optimal

KOMPAS/FABIO MARIA LOPES COSTA

The situation at the Jayapura Port passenger terminal on Sunday (12/20/2020). About 600 passengers in the place with a capacity of only 300 people.

The mobility of the people has begun to increase, but the policy on the use of stricter health protocols has not been fully implemented.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The number of travellers has begun to increase ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays. However, the implementation of health protocols and mandatory rapid antigen tests to prevent the spread of Covid-19 has not been carried out optimally in a number of regions.

At the Merak ferry port, Banten, around 40,000 people and 10,100 vehicles crossed from Java to Sumatra from Saturday morning to Sunday morning (20/12/2020). Meanwhile, the number of train passengers in the Operational Area VIII, Surabaya reached a total of 14,382 people from morning until 3 p.m. on Sunday. Meanwhile, at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the number of passengers totaled 75,217 people on Saturday, an increase of 5,289 people compared to Friday.

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The number of travelers is expected to continue to increase until the end of the year-end holidays. In order to control Covid-19 transmission during the Christmas and New Year holidays, the head of the Covid-19 task force, Doni Monardo, issued a circular on the implementation of stricter health protocols during the upcoming holidays.

Circular Letter No.2/2020 stipulates the tightening of health protocols during travelling. Travelers, among others, are obliged to wear a mask and are prohibited from eating and drinking while on planes.

KOMPAS/SUCIPTO

The head of the Covid-19 task force Doni Monardo.

Interprovincial/city/regency travelers in Java and Bali must take a rapid antigen test. Especially for flights to Bali, it is mandatory to take a polymerase chain reaction test or PCR. "We have calculated that until January 5, 2021, there will be at least 5 million antigen tests," said Doni.

Authorized agencies, including the military, police and local governments, are expected to be able to control the implementation of the health protocols and enforce the law according to existing regulations. "This regulation must be enforced in every region," said Doni.

Not optimal yet

Unfortunately, the health protocols have not been implemented optimally in a number of areas. The medical workers at the Port Health Office (KKP) in Jayapura, Papua, did not check the body temperature of passengers boarding KM Labobar. In addition, there were at least 600 people seen at the terminal, which only has a capacity of 350 people. Many people at the terminal were not wearing masks either.

Pelni has asked state-owned port operator Pelindo to provide additional facilities in order to increase the receiving capacity of the terminal during the Christmas 2020 holidays.

The manager of the branch office of state-owned shipping company PT Pelni in Jayapura, Harianto Sembiring, confirmed the sharp increase in the number of the passengers at the terminal. Pelni has asked state-owned port operator Pelindo to provide additional facilities in order to increase the receiving capacity of the terminal during the Christmas 2020 holidays.

KOMPAS/FRANSISKUS PATI HERIN

The peak of the Christmas and New Year homecoming flows at Yos Sudarso Port, Ambon City, Maluku, occurred on Monday (21/12/2020).

Meanwhile, an airline passenger on the Mataram-Jakarta route, Abdullah Rajab (49), said the plane he took was fully occupied and did not use distanced seating for its passengers. The passengers also scrambled when they left the plane. "We were told to take turns to leave the plane but the passengers were impatient. Finally, the passengers piled up," he said.

The chairman of the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI), Agus Taufik Mulyono, said most airline, train and shipping companies had implemented the health protocols as required. In fact, the control on the use of the health protocols on private cars was still minimal, he said, adding that the control should be carried out on all types of vehicles to prevent local transmission of Covid-19 through land transportation.

Antigen test

As for the policy on the mandatory rapid antigen test, local governments have implemented it differently. The Jakarta administration, for example, requires all passengers of public transportation from and to the province to show a negative antigen rapid test result. The policy is implemented to anticipate the increase in the mobility of the residents during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

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Meanwhile, the Tangerang regency government, Banten, and the municipal government of Batu, East Java, do not require travelers to take a rapid antigen test. The head of the Tangerang regency transportation office, Agus Suryana, said there was no obligation for private vehicle drivers or public vehicle passengers in the regency area to take a rapid antigen test. "Tangerang regency is a transit area, not a destination area. That\'s why it\'s different from that in Jakarta,” said Agus.

Batu deputy mayor Punjul Santoso said the city administration preferred the strict implementation of health protocols. The Batu city administration would close tourist sites, hotels and restaurants that did not implement the health protocols.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

.Health service officers serve the process of validating test files for prospective aircraft passengers at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang, Banten, on Friday (18/12/2020).

The chairman of the branch of the Indonesian Tour Guide Association (HPI) in Batu city, Ilham Adilia, said the obligation to take the antigen test had had a negative impact on the local tourism industry. A number of groups of travelers canceled their trips to Batu because they were required to take the antigen test which was considered expensive.

Health protocol in churches

The Synod of Protestant Churches in Western Indonesia (GPIB) and the Association of Indonesian Baptist Churches (GGBI) have ensured that the Christmas services would be carried out with strict health protocols. The number of congregants attending Christmas celebrations in these churches is limited only to 25 percent of the capacity of the churches.

The Diocese of Amboina will only hold two Christmas masses to facilitate the implementation of health protocols. At Ambon Cathedral, Christmas celebrations have an attendance limit of 30 percent of the church\'s capacity. Under normal conditions, the church can accommodate up to 1,200 people. (AIK/CAS/DAN/FLO/FRD/IGA/NIK/WER).