Travelers Test Positive for Covid-19

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Heavy traffic heads from Jakarta to the Puncak on Jl. Raya Gadog, Bogor regency, West Java, on Thursday (29/10/2020). The second day of the long holiday saw more vehicles on the road to the popular recreational area. Public enthusiasm for leisure activities has seen a resurgence since the government launched its new lifestyle campaign, even though the Covid-19 health emergency has not ended.

Family clusters of Covid-19 transmission overshadow the long holiday this week. Discipline in implementing health protocols determines the level of transmission risk.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The wave of travelers during this long holiday was inevitable. A total of 336,929 vehicles were recorded leaving the Jakarta area via toll roads to several areas on 27-28 October 2020. The increase in passengers was also seen at a number of airports and seaports across the country.

Covid-19 rapid antigen tests on travelers at some tourist locations and entrances to destination cities found reactive cases.

Read also: Tips for the Long Holiday: Covid-19 Spokeswoman Dr. Reisa

Data from the Bogor regency administration in West Java, as of Thursday at 2 p.m. (29/10/2020), show that of the 918 rapid antigen tests conducted in four locations, 50 travelers tested positive. They were then asked to go back to their place of origin.

"Today, rapid tests have been carried out by the health office. Apart from [the tests at] the Gadog traffic intersection, Ciawi district, Gamendung district and Lake Warna in Puncak, rapid tests are also being carried out at several tourist destinations," said Bogor Public Order Police head Asep Agus Ridho, yesterday.

The Puncak area is still a favorite tourist destination for residents of Jakarta and its surroundings. The volume of vehicles in the region on Thursday increased 20 percent compared to that on Wednesday. The queue of vehicles was about 2 kilometers long at KM 46 of the Ciawi toll road leading to the Gadog intersection/exit at KM 48. The peak flow of traffic to Puncak is expected to occur this Friday and Saturday, while the flow of traffic will decrease on Sunday.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Visitors flock the beach at Ancol Dream Park in North Jakarta on Thursday (29/10/2020), at the start of the long cuti bersama (collective leave). The park recorded 22,000 visitors as of 3 p.m. on Thursday, well within the park’s 25 percent cap on visitor numbers to a maximum of 25,000 during the transitional phase of the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB).

Positive cases were also found during rapid antigen tests in Bandar Lampung. The spokesman for the Bandar Lampung Covid-19 task force, Ahmad Nurizki, said from the three days of rapid tests on 1,883 people entering Bandar Lampung, 46 people tested positive for Covid-19.

Those who tested positive were asked to return to their area of origin to prevent transmission of the virus. People who tested positive were also recorded so they could get a swab test from their local administration.

Family clusters

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan again reminded residents to stay alert and apply health protocols. Even with family members and people you know well, the health protocols must not be ignored, he said.

Based on data from the Jakarta administration, 39 percent of positive Covid-19 cases in Jakarta come from family clusters. In total, there are 4,684 family clusters with 36,659 positive cases of Covid-19. "This means that a lot of transmission occurs in the family," said Anies.

The 50 percent visitor capacity rule must be obeyed.

To prevent increased Covid-19 transmission during the long holiday, Bogor Mayor Bima Arya said the joint team of the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), the Public Order Police (Satpol PP) and the Bogor Municipality Transportation Agency was closely monitoring the implementation of health protocols at a number of tourist destinations, entertainment centers and restaurants. The 50 percent visitor capacity rule must be obeyed.

"If the number of visitors is more than 50 percent of capacity, the officer will give a warning, and if it is not heeded, the officer will take stern action," said Bima. The Bogor municipality administration and the Bogor regency administration have each prepared 3,000 Covid-19 rapid antigen test kits at a number of entertainment venues, tourist destinations and transportation facilities.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto appealed to the public to stay at home during the holiday. This is especially true for vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, children and people with comorbid diseases.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Motorcyclists form tight rows on Thursday (29/10/2020) to enter the East Gate of Ancol Dream Park in North Jakarta, which recorded 22,000 visitors as of 3 p.m. on Thursday at the start of the long cuti bersama (collective leave). The park has capped visitor numbers to a maximum of 25,000 during the transitional phase of the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB).

Through the health minister\'s decree, all governors, mayors and regents are also asked to take action to prevent the spread of Covid-19 during this long holiday, comprising the holiday to celebrate the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday on Thursday and collective leave on Wednesday and Friday. Local administrations were urged to increase the tracking, testing and mitigation of the disease.

Passenger record

As expected, this long holiday set a new flight traffic record during the pandemic. On 28 October, at 19 airports under the state-owned PT Angkasa Pura II, there were 110,530 passengers with 1,069 flights. The previous record of passengers on 23 August 2020, was around 95,000 passengers with 1,045 flights.

At Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on 28 October, there were 64,021 people on 644 flights. At Juanda International Airport, in Sidoarjo, East Java, the increase in passengers started three days before the long holiday. "The peak of passenger movement occurred on Wednesday with 21,524 passengers. That is far above the prediction estimated by 17,500 people," said Juanda airport acting general manager Indah Preastuty.

On a normal day during the pandemic, only about 292 people crossed the area.

There was also an increase in the number of passengers at the Ketapang-Gilimanuk ports, which connect Java and Bali. State-owned ferry operator PT ASDP of Ketapang-Gilimanuk noted that the number of people crossing the area on Tuesday and Wednesday had reached 1,852 people. On a normal day during the pandemic, only about 292 people crossed the area.

"Of 1,852 people crossing the area, 1,002 people headed for Bali and 850 people from Bali headed for Java. The total number of two-wheeled vehicles, cars, trucks and buses crossing the area stood at 28,818, mostly vehicles from Bali,” said the general manager of PT ASDP Ketapang-Gilimanuk, Fahmi Alweni.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Bumper-to-bumper traffic fills all lanes of the Cikampek Toll Road at kilometer marker (KM) 9, near the entrance to the Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road in Bekasi, at 10 a.m. (28/10/2020) on Wednesday. Outbound roads saw heavy traffic on the first day of the long cuti bersama (collective leave) to mark the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, or Maulid Nabi, which fell on Thursday. To ease traffic on outbound lanes in Jakarta, toll operator Jasa Marga started implementing contraflow measures from KM 47 to KM 61 at 8:45 a.m. and temporarily closed the rest area at KM 50.

Apart from staying alert on Covid-19, travelers and residents also need to be aware of the risk of hydrometeorological disasters. Heavy rain has the potential to occur on the island of Java.

Head of the Center for Public Meteorology at the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Fachri Radjab, said some areas in Indonesia had entered the rainy season, such as Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java. (GIO/VIO/TAN/HLN/CAS/NIK/GER/VAN/WER/REN)