Authorities have started to close down businesses including malls and have begun to cancel travel plans due to increasing numbers of COVID-19 across Indonesia.

Each year, millions of Indonesians take a trip to their hometowns to be with their extended families in a tradition known as mudik. With Idul Fitri expected to fall on 24th or 25th May, the Ministry of Transportation has confirmed they will not be providing travel assistance.

“Considering the current situation of the massive spread of COVID-19, I think this is the right decision, although it is hard.

Thus, I hope people understand and obey what the government has decided,” said Budi Setyadi, the ministry’s director of land transportation. According to Budi, mudik requires massive mobility, giving a greater possibility for the virus to spread. To prevent this, the government is urging people not to travel home this year.

Furthermore, Anies Baswedan, the governor of DKI Jakarta, issued a letter from the Department of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Province of DKI Jakarta Number 155 / SE / 2020 concerning the Temporary Closure of the Operational Activities of the Tourism Industry in Precautions against Covid-19 Transmission.

The letter was addressed to entertainment businesses such as nightclubs, movie theatres, and even massage parlours, requesting that they close from 23rd March to 5th April. In response, malls including Summarecon Mall Kelapa Gading, Central Park, Lippo Mall Puri, and Senayan City temporarily closed some of their tenants including playlands for kids, cinemas, karaoke places, billiard halls, reflexology centres, and gyms.

Plaza Indonesia decided to close, leaving only supermarkets, pharmacies, and ATMs to remain open, starting 25th March until 3rd April.

Source: Detik and Jakarta Post

Image: Detik