Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has announced that there will be random checks on mobility and health protocols at tourist sites, shopping centers, and malls.

He urged people to remain alert during the mobility surge around Christmas and New Year holidays. Around 11 million people are expected to travel during the holidays despite the emergence of the Omicron variant in Indonesia, the minister noted.

“The most important thing during this holiday is the tightening of health protocols. If you can stay at home, that would be better. For those who want to travel, they must be fully vaccinated and show negative result of antigen test (taken) within 1×24 hours,” Sumadi stressed on Thursday.

He said random checks will also be carried out to review security and service post facilities, which have been asked to anticipate a surge in mobility during the holiday period, especially at tourist attractions.

On Thursday, Sumadi along with Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy and National Police chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo reviewed mass vaccination activities organized by the National Police at Taman Safari Indonesia, Bogor, West Java.

The program is aiming to administer 1.2 million vaccine doses to help achieve the 70-percent national vaccination target by the end of the year, he noted.

Meanwhile, Prabowo informed that the National Police have prepared security posts in several areas to ensure the implementation of health protocols in public places, especially tourism destinations, during the holiday period.

“Learning from our previous experience, we must anticipate to avoid a spike in COVID-19 cases after long holidays,” he said.

Prabowo further said that the security posts will have vaccine booths for people who have not been fully vaccinated.

In addition, police have also prepared temporary isolation places for people who test positive for COVID-19, he added.

“We will also set up security posts at rest areas,” he said.

Source: Antara News