‘Mudik’ Increases COVID-19 Transmissions

As the COVID-19 outbreak is not over yet, traveling to home towns to celebrate Idul Fitri with relatives will increase the transmission of the disease.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Residents flock to stalls at a traditional market on Jl. Pedati, Suryakencana, Bogor, West Java, on Friday (22/5/2020). Ahead of Idul Fitri, the large crowd in the shopping area was out of control. Low awareness of the dangers of COVID-19 and weak government control make social restrictions meaningless.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The people should immediately cancel their plans to go on mudik (exodus) to celebrate Idul Fitri with their families and relatives because the COVID-19 outbreak has not been resolved.

Going on mudik in the current condition will only increase the risk of COVID-19 infections among families or relatives in hometowns.

Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin said in a recorded video statement in Jakarta on Friday that the government apologized to all the people of Indonesia because the COVID-19 outbreak could not yet be overcome.

We must have the courage to fight and eliminate COVID-19 together.

The commitment of the entire community is needed, especially to strengthen self-discipline and solidarity in an effort to break the chain of transmission of the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.

"We must have the courage to fight and eliminate COVID-19 together,” he said.

The public discipline in implementing health protocols is absolutely necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which can infect anyone. At present, there are as many as 831 children in Indonesia who have been infected by the coronavirus due to contact with their parents and relatives.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the country’s major Islamic mass organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, have also urged the public to comply with large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in order to be able to stop the spread of COVID-19. The people should, for example, not go on mudik because it will increase the risks of COVID-19 infections among families and relatives in their home towns.

Also read : Residents’ Movement Uncontrollable

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Residents line up for the distribution of rice from a car to those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak in Pluit subdistrict, Muara Angke Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Friday (22/5/2020). The Jakarta Police Directorate of Narcotics cooperated with the community to help middle- and lower-economic groups affected by COVID-19 by providing a mobile rice barn as a means of sharing among fellow community elements.

The secretary general of MUI, Anwar Abbas, asked the public to learn from the rapid spread of the coronavirus during the Chinese New Year celebrations in China in February. The COVID-19 transmission rate in Wuhan, China, increased sharply after Chinese New Year.

"I\'m afraid the same thing can happen after Idul Fitri. COVID-19 remains dangerous. The most important thing we should do is protect ourselves, families and relatives from being infected by the disease," he said.

Without the active role of the community, various government efforts, such as the implementation of the PSBB and the deployment of health workers will not be effective.

Also read : PSBB Still Faces a Number of Obstacles

PBNU secretary general Helmy Faishal Zaini said that togetherness with families and relatives during mudik would be meaningless if the reunion only caused the transmission of the disease.

"Avoiding harm is better than performing worship that is only sunna [not obliged] . We can use technology to hold a virtual gatherings instead," he said.

Now is the time to work together and solve the COVID-19 problem.

Public awareness to participate in fighting against COVID-19 is very important. The secretary-general of Muhammadiyah, Abdul Mu\'ti, said the people should refrain from going home and must adhere to COVID-19 protocols.

"Now is the time to work together and solve the COVID-19 problem," he said.

Also read : The Peak of the Pandemic is Difficult to Determine

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Cirebon Police officers examine documents brought by travelers passing through the Palimanan Toll Gate, Cirebon regency, West Java, Friday (22/5/2020). The examination was part of efforts to control the movement of people ahead of Idul Fitri. Travelers who could not show the adequate documents for travel during the mudik (exodus) ban were asked to go back.

Based on data from the Health Ministry, 4 percent or 831 of the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, which reached 20,796 cases as of May 22, comprised children ages of up to 14 years.

The head of the school-age health section under the office of family health at the Health Ministry, Wara Pertiwi, said the transmission of COVID-19 to children was partly due to contact with infected parents or other members of families.

Getting crowded

Highway traffic in Java and Sumatra is getting crowded. The travelers from Jakarta have begun to crowd the Karawang border areas in West Java. The number of the travelers increased sharply during midnight until dawn as the traffic control loosed.

Toll road operator Jasa Marga, together with the police and the Transportation Minister, recorded that as many as 8, 013 vehicles were diverted to West Cikarang Toll Gate (GT) to return back to Jakarta on Thursday (21/5).

According to Jasa Marga, from May 16 to May 22, the number of vehicles heading east through the Cikampek Utama toll gate reached 78,013 vehicles.

Also read : Exodus Triggers Case Explosion in the Regions

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG

Traffic congestions is seen in the Kebayoran Lama Market area, South Jakarta, on Friday (22/5/2020). Two days ahead of the celebration of Idul Fitri, residents pack traditional markets to buy food ingredients to be served during Idul Fitri.

Meanwhile, at the Bakauheni ferry port in South Lampung, Lampung, officers closely inspected passengers who tried to take a ferry to Merak port in Banten. The public relations official of ferry port operator PT Angkutan Sungai Danau and Penyebrangan, Syaifullahil M Hararap, said 1,841 vehicles and 423 people crossed into Java on Thursday.

The Transportation Ministry and the police continued to prevent people from going on mudik from Jakarta, as well as Bogor, Depok and Bekasi in West Java, and Tangerang in Banten.

"We found that there are still many people trying to go on mudik," the director general of Land Transportation of the Transportation Ministry, Budi Setiyadi, said on Friday.

According to Jakarta Police data, since April 24, 377 vehicles have been confiscated and 2,255 people were prevented from going on mudik. ( DIV/ FRD/ CAS / MEL/ VIO/ RAM / NSA /JOG/ TAN )