VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Government spokesperson for COVID-19 handling Wiku Adisasmito urged people to abide by the ban on the homecoming exodus, reminding that the surge in cases could encumber health facilities in several regions.

"When the number of cases is high, health facilities will not be adequate in the event of a large increase in cases," Adisasmito remarked during a virtual press conference monitored from Jakarta on Thursday.

The government’s spokesperson invited various parties to take a cue from past experiences wherein the number of COVID-19 cases had significantly spiked during the long holidays, including during Eid al-Fitr last year.

To this end, the government finally issued a ban on the Eid al-Fitr homecoming exodus that is in effect for the May 6-17 period during which scores of individuals usually traveled to their hometowns.

However, Adisasmito admitted to non-compliance to the ban among several people, who had traveled to their hometowns before the enforcement of the ban on homecoming exodus.

In the wake of this, the government has finally tightened travel conditions for the period from April 22 to May 5, 2021.

However, despite the enforcement of these restrictive regulations, several people travel with the required permits for those keen on making emergency trips.

"This will certainly be a burden on the regional government that must take precautionary measures against an increase in the number of people coming and the likelihood of infection occurring. The people should really understand the conditions that not every region has the same readiness," Adisasmito remarked.

On the occasion, the spokesperson noted that the Task Force had coordinated with various ministries and institutions to ensure all are on the same page regarding regulations on the homecoming exodus ban. (Antaranews)