Millions of People have Gone on ‘Mudik’

Despite the prohibition and blockage, at least 1.2 million travelers have left the Jabodetabek area. A number of steps were taken to prevent a spike in Covid-19 cases after Idul Fitri.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Thousands of mudik travelers crowded the northern coastline of Cirebon, West Java, in the Mundu area, Wednesday (12/5/2021). The queue of vehicles in the area is more than 200 meters. They force themselves to go home (going home), even though it is prohibited by the government.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The government has set a number of provisions related to the Idul Fitri 1442 Hijriah prayer, halalbihalal (get-together), and the operation of tourist attractions during the Idul Fitri celebration to be free and safe from the possible spread of Covid-19. The government will also guarantee places and costs for the quarantine of travelers who have arrived at their hometowns.

Such steps were prepared because even though there was a ban on mudik (exodus), data from the Jakarta Police show that at least 1.2 million travelers left Jakarta and its surroundings from May 1 to 10.

"This is based on the results of our evaluation of the number of travelers who took a trip by land, such as by train, and by air before the application of the ban on mudik until now, when people still insist on mudik travel, as we found in Kedungwaringin (Bekasi, West Java) and toll roads," said Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Fadil Imran, Tuesday (11/5/2021), in Jakarta.

Also read:

• Bracing for Surge in Covid-19 Cases
• Traffic Scrutiny Tightened Against ‘Mudik’ Travelers

Fadil admitted that the passing of the travelers to a number of areas, such as West Java, Central Java and East Java, still occurred even though the number of security personnel at 42 checkpoints and blockage posts spread across the Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi areas had been increased.

During the five days of the mudik ban, which began on May 6, said Imran, the joint personnel asked around 24,477 vehicles from a total of 57,089 vehicles to turn back as they were found to have violated regulations.

The quarantine is financed

KOMPAS/NIKOLAUS HARBOWO

The Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, gives a press statement about the elimination of Lebaran 2021 mudik (exodus/homecoming), after a joint meeting between ministries, in Jakarta, Friday (26/3/2021).

Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy said the government had coordinated with the Covid-19 Mitigation Task Force so that local governments, both at the regency/city, sub-district and hamlet levels, prepare quarantine places for travelers who insist on going to their hometowns.

"The Home Affairs Ministry and the Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Ministry guarantee financing for quarantine. So, this is no kidding. The government tightens mudik travel until the final destination of those who insist on going home. Those who come will also be handled, we will take care of them seriously, we will quarantine them so that it will be useless for them to go on mudik,” said Muhadjir, yesterday, in Jakarta.

Also read:

• Indonesia’s Situation Can Get as Bad as India’s
• Preventing Virus Spread from Those Insisting on ‘Mudik’

Muhadjir said the ban on mudik travel did not mean to break the silaturahmi (relationship) among communities, but to break the chain of transmission of Covid-19. This limitation of community mobility is increasingly important because the trend of additional cases at the global level is also increasing. He hoped the silaturahmi was carried out by utilizing technology.

Regulating ‘halalbihalal’

The Home Affairs Ministry has issued a circular to all regional heads to limit the activities of breaking-the-fast together. In addition, during Idul Fitri, all state civil servants are prohibited from making open houses. This was stated in Home Affairs Minister’s Circular No. 800/2794.

A number of regions also regulate Idul Fitri or halalbihalal visits by residents. The South Tangerang city government in Banten, for example, allows halalbihalal only in nucleus families with an additional five people.

Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan

The joint apparatus conducted discretion by opening up the insulation for thousands of travelers in the Kedungwaringin area, Bekasi Regency, which borders Karawang Regency, West Java, Tuesday (11/5/2021). The opening of the insulation was carried out because the queue for travelers was very long, up to more than two kilometers.

Meanwhile, from the results of a coordination meeting among regional heads of Jabotabek areas and the Jakarta Police chief, the Commander of the Regional Military Command and Kajati (Public Prosecutor’s Office), it was agreed that tourist attractions can only be visited by people who have identification cards according to the location of the tourist spots. Ragunan Wildlife Park, for example, which is located in Jakarta, can only be visited by those with Jakarta ID cards.

"That is an agreement, not only in Jakarta, but also in Bodetabek areas. It is agreed that tourists are local, internal to each other. If the tourist location is in Jakarta, the tourists should hold Jakarta ID cards. For Bogor, they should hold Bogor ID cards. People should not leave their respective regions,” said Dedi Sumardi, acting head of the Tourism Division of the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Section.

Also read:

• Thousands of Vehicles Asked to Turn Back
• Number of Vehicles Drops amid Tight Traffic Control

In line with the results of the Isbat (confirmation) meeting on the stipulation of 1 Syawal 1442 Hijriah by the Religious Affairs Ministry, which decided that Idul Fitri falls on May 13, 2021, a number of community organizations issued procedures for Idul Fitri prayer with strict health protocols.

The Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque, Nasaruddin Umar, said Tuesday that Istiqlal would not hold the Idul Fitri prayer this year. The decision was taken to avoid crowds that could potentially trigger the transmission of Covid-19.

If the tourist location is in Jakarta, the tourists should hold Jakarta ID cards.

Previously, the Muhammadiyah Central Executive Board had advised the public not to hold a traveling takbir (recitation of God is great) on the eve of Idul Fitri. Takbir should be held in the respective house to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission. ( TAN/ HRS/ BOW/AIK/ IDO/ MEL/ERK/ DAN/ GIO/ HLN/ CIP/BRO/ETA/VDL)

Kompas/Bahana Patria Gupta

Travelers without documents are waiting for time to cross the Suramadu Bridge to get to Madura Island not far from the border checkpoint, Surabaya, East Java, Tuesday (11/5/2021).

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.