VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Passengers at Senen Train Station in Jakarta. ANTARA FOTO/Dhemas Reviyanto/foc - 

Residents of Jakarta returning home after celebrating the Eid al-Fitr festivity in their hometowns outside the capital city must possess COVID-19-free certificates, according to the Jakarta police.

"Jakarta’s residents must show the results of rapid COVID-19 antigen tests that they have undergone in their hometowns," Jakarta Police spokesman Sen. Com. Yusri Yunus stated.

Police officers will start checking the COVID-19-free certificates of travelers heading to Jakarta on Sunday, Yunus noted in a statement that ANTARA quoted here, Saturday.

The impromptu checks on those returning to the capital city will be conducted at the KM 34 checkpoint of the Cikampek-Jakarta toll road and the Cikupa post, according to the spokesman.

Police officers will check the COVID-19-free certificates of those passing through the non-toll roads at the Jatiuwung and Kedungwaringin checkpoints, Yunus revealed.

If travelers are unable to show their COVID-19-free certificates, they will be required to undergo swab testing at the drive-through-rapid-antigen testing facilities, the spokesman explained.

However, to avoid traffic congestion, the travelers are required to undergo swab tests in their hometowns prior to their departure, Yunus clarified.

Traditionally, the Eid al-Fitr festivity is often regarded by Indonesian Muslims as a time to seek blessings and forgiveness from parents and to strengthen "silaturrahim," or the bonds of friendship.

However, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin had earlier called on Indonesian Muslims to uphold "silaturrahim" virtually.

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

The novel 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 banned homebound travel, or "mudik," ahead of this year's Eid al-Fitr holiday season akin to last year.

The Health Ministry has also confirmed the entry of three new coronavirus variants originating from India, South Africa, and the Great Britain into Indonesia//ANT