VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin reaffirmed his call for common acts of sacrifice for the safety of all by respecting the government's ban on homebound travel, or "mudik".

"We are all still struggling to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak while celebrating this year's upcoming Idul Fitri festivity," Amin stated during a video recording here on Tuesday.

For the safety of all, the government has again banned homebound travel before and during the Idul Fitri holiday season that marks the end of Ramadhan, he remarked.

To this end, all elements of society at large should demonstrate common acts of sacrifice by not traveling to their hometowns for large family gatherings there.

Traditionally, the Idul Fitri festivity is often regarded by several Indonesian Muslims as a time to seek blessings and forgiveness from parents and to strengthen "silaturrahim".

However, amid the COVID-19 pandemic situation, "silaturrahim," or the bonds of friendship, can still be upheld virtually during the Idul Fitry festivity, he stated.

Amin again called on the people at large in the country to continue the nation's collective fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by reducing their mobility for the safety of all.

"We do not want the endeavors that we have made over this past year to go in vain. Of course, the safety of our beloved must be prioritized and maintained together," he emphasized.

Amin also highlighted the significance of keeping the spirit alive since behind any hardship, there is always relief.

Head of Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo had earlier issued a warning to the people at large to not breach the homebound travel ban.

Monardo cautioned that a large-scale movement of people before the Ramadhan fasting month ends and during the Idul Fitri holiday season may trigger the spread of the COVID-19 contagion.

The coronavirus disease outbreak initially struck the Chinese city of Wuhan in 2019 and then spread to various parts of the world, including countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Indonesian government announced the country's first confirmed cases on March 2, 2020.

Since then, the central and regional governments have made persistent efforts to flatten the coronavirus curve by imposing healthcare protocols and social restrictions.

To break the chain of transmission of COVID-19, which has impacted the purchasing power of scores of families in Indonesia, the government had also banned "mudik" last year.

Indonesia is also striving to win the fight against this global pandemic of the coronavirus disease through a national vaccination program.

According to the Health Ministry, it will take around 15 months to vaccinate about 181.5 million people under the national program.

"We need 15 months to accomplish it. The time frame for conducting the vaccination is counted from January 2021 to March 2022," the Health Ministry's spokesperson for the vaccination program, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, stated recently.

During the period, the government is targeting to inoculate some 181.5 million people, including 1.3 million paramedics and 17.4 million public sector workers in 34 provinces, according to Tarmizi.

Tarmizi noted that the first phase of the government's immunization program was divided into two periods: January-April 2021 and April 2021-March 2022. (Antaranews)