inp.polri.go.id - Surabaya. The East Java Regional Police asked all squares in their jurisdictions to close during the new year of 2022. This was done to prevent crowds potentially transmitting the Coronavirus or COVID-19. "Tourism locations and crowded places, later it has been conveyed that in the Minister of Home Affairs it will be eliminated as much as possible and also the square will be closed on December 31, 2021, until January 1, 2022," explained the East Java Regional Police Chief, Pol. Inspector-General Nico Afinta, Sunday (12/19/21).
Pol. Inspector-General Nico Afinta also said that although the COVID-19 transmission rate has decreased and is relatively controllable, there are still several areas with level 3 status in the East Java region, including Situbondo Regency, Ponorogo Regency, Bondowoso Regency, Sumenep Regency, Sampang Regency, Pamekasan Regency, Regency Jember and Bangkalan Regency.
Status level 3 is based on the Ministry of Home Affairs Number 67 of 2021 because the area has not yet reached the vaccination target, especially for the elderly.
The Two-Star General also highlighted the decline in the level of community discipline in carrying out health protocols to prevent COVID-19. This can be seen from the large crowds at several mall locations, entertainment venues, and other public locations, some of which have even neglected the PeduliLindung application.
"So it is feared that it will cause clusters of Covid-19 spread in public spaces, especially now that a new variant of the virus, namely Omicron, has been discovered, which is currently based on reports from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, has entered Indonesian territory," explained the Regional Police Chief.
Pol. Inspector-General Nico Afinta added that the central government, through the Joint Ministerial Decree of 3 ministers, had issued a policy of eliminating joint leave during the Christmas and New Year of 2021 holiday and the implementation of Minister of Home Affairs No. 66 of 2021 regarding the prevention and control of COVID-19 at Christmas and New Year 2021. This was in response to the emergence of a new variant of the virus, Omicron.
"The policy was issued to limit people's mobility, especially during the 2021 Christmas holidays and the 2022 new year so that it is hoped that after the 2021 Christmas and New Year holiday, there will not be an explosion in the spread of COVID-19 as feared by epidemiologist experts," explained the Regional Police Chief.
The police chief appealed to the public to remain vigilant during Christmas and New Year celebrations. "The most important thing is that we cannot succeed if there is no support from the community to be able to carry out this," he explained.