Jakarta Deputy Governor, Ahmad Riza Patria, supported the abolition of collective leave on December 24 for the good of the community to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

“Hence, this is indeed for the common good to avoid a new cluster of COVID-19. The government has attempted to reduce the people’s mobility during the long holiday through this regulation,” Patria noted on Friday.

The government has cancelled the collective leave on December 24, 2021, according to the Joint Decree (SKB) of the Three Ministers Number 712 of 2021, Number 1 of 2021, and Number 3 of 2021 regarding National Holidays and Collective Leave on 2021.

Meanwhile, all State Civil Servant (ASN) are also prohibited from taking leave according to the Circular Letter of the Minister of State Apparatus and Bureaucratic Reform Number 13 of 2021.

“The central government also prohibits ASN from taking leave and using the momentum of a national holiday at the end of the year to go on holiday or traveling,” he added.

The government will also tighten travel restrictions for people, who must travel during the holiday period. Those who travel using means of public transportation should have received the first dose of vaccine.

For air transportation, passengers should have tested negative for COVID-19 and show a PCR test result. In case of land transportation, passengers must test negative for COVID-19 based on an antigen swab test.

Meanwhile, until October 28, the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Jakarta had increased to 131 based on data of the Jakarta Health Service.

The number of active cases in Jakarta rose by 48, thereby bringing the number of active cases up to 926 of people still being treated and isolated.

The percentage of positive cases in the past week in Jakarta reached 0.4 percent, or lower than the minimum five-percent standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Source: Antara News