Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has stated that the government will not prohibit people from conducting homecoming activities, or mudik, for Eid Al Fitr 2021.
The minister said homecoming is not prohibited because there will be a strict health protocol mechanism drawn up with the COVID-19 Handling Task Force team. One of them will be both the ministry and the team coordinating in terms of tracing the travelling population.
“The Transportation Ministry, as the national coordinator of Eid transportation, fully hopes that homecoming activities will run well. Therefore, I invite the chairman of the commission and members to monitor the homecoming preparations and also monitor the homecoming process itself,” Budi explained.
Nevertheless, Budi emphasised that the Transportation Ministry will also pay attention to strategic issues that arise when homecoming goes ahead. First, he said there would be a surge in the movement of people.
“The COVID-19 vaccination program is predicted to make people want to travel. There is also a chance car ownership can increase,” he said.
Moreover, the use of the cheaper GeNose tests as a condition for travel at terminals, stations, ports and airports will be carried out. “We will make efforts to emphasise COVID-19, which is still widespread within the community, by implementing health protocols. And people must also adapt,” he said.
However, Budi also noted the chances of weather conditions and the potential of natural disasters which could be strategic issues for the implementation of this year’s mudik.
On 21st April 2020, President Joko Widodo announced that homecoming for Eid was prohibited in order to break the chain of spreading COVID-19.
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