Anticipate the Impact of Year-End Holidays

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

The passengers of the Brantas train are waiting for departure in a train carriage at Pasar Senen Station, Jakarta, on Tuesday (22/12/2020).

People’s mobility has escalated as the end of the year nears. Meanwhile, the efforts of both central and regional governments in preparing and implementing COVID-19 protocols have yet to be synergized. The country, thus, has to anticipate the worst case scenario.

Compared to that at the end of 2019, people’s mobility at the end of 2020 has significantly decreased. Data of passengers of various transportation modes show a 50 to 80 percent decrease. However, compared to previous months, people’s mobility at the end of the year shows an increase.

State-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga recorded 356,010 vehicles leaving Jakarta during the Christmas holidays. On 24 December, 228,666 people had crossed from Merak Port, Banten, to Sumatra. Furthermore, state-owned train operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia’s (PT KAI) Jakarta Region reported that 79,694 passengers departed on 18-26 December 2020 (Kompas, 27/12/2020).

Also read: Preventing New Year\'s Celebration Crowds

The surge of travelers at the end of this year is alarming as it will increase the potential of COVID-19 transmission in a number of regions. Moreover, a lot of tourist areas have yet to be able to monitor, educate and force people to use face masks, maintain safe physical distance or wash their hands.

The number increased to 6,528 on 27 December and nearly tripled in two months.

Meanwhile, the country keeps on seeing an increase in the number of new COVID-19 confirmed cases. On 1 November, 2,696 new daily cases were recorded. Whereas, on 1 December, as many as 5,092 new cases were recorded. The number increased to 6,528 on 27 December and nearly tripled in two months.

The increase of new confirmed cases in Indonesia, based on Worldometers data, is relatively high. Russia recorded the highest increase in the world with 28,284 cases per day. A lot of regions in Indonesia, however, are still lacking in contact tracing and testing.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

The traffic atmosphere at Kalihurip Utama 2 Toll Gate, Cikampek, Karawang, West Java, on Monday (21/12/2020.

Since 1 December, the new confirmed COVID-19 case curve has spiked farther away from the recovery curve. The number of deaths from COVID-19 also continues to increase. The country recorded 136 deaths on 1 December and 243 on 27 December. Such a condition cannot be underestimated. Everyone needs to be more vigilant.

Considering the potential of more COVID-19 transmission during the holidays, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned her citizens in advance, “If we have too many contacts over Christmas, this can be the last Christmas with our parents and then we will have really messed up. We should not do that," Merkel said in the Bundestag.

Also read: Muhadjir: We must Adapt to Every Situation

The country needs to anticipate a bigger tip of the COVID-19 iceberg, coupled with a mobility surge as the year draws to a close. The country needs to increase the capacity and speed of its testing, treatment and tracing as people’s lives are at stake.

Both central and regional governments also need to implement synergized policies. The readiness of the so-called 3T procedures, which include tracing, testing and treatment, needs to be used as a performance indicator on all fronts as well as to determine policies in various sectors.

“Hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” Roger L’Estrange said in his book, Seneca’s Morals, 1702.

This article was translated by Camilia Adianti