JakartaPost-May 1, 2022
An aerial view of vehicles lining up on toll roads used to evoke a feeling of hopelessness for many Muslims wishing to spend their Idul Fitri holiday with their families in their hometowns. But this year, such an image oddly brings a sigh of relief, if not a glimmer of hope, that we may finally be ready to live with COVID-19. The coronavirus pandemic may not be over yet. The World Health Organization has time and again warned governments across the globe not to lose sight of the danger of letting the virus spread freely in communities. Testing must continue, and those carrying the virus must self-isolate until they are no longer contagious. However, as we enter the third year of the pandemic, we have reasons to believe that we are now better protected than ever, with 79 percent and 95 percent of our targeted population having received the second and first dose of the vaccine, respectively. In light of this encouraging development, the government has decided to bring back mudik (exodus) the tradition of traveling to one’s hometown to celebrate Idul Fitri. It is estimated that more than 80 million people will join the Idul Fitri exodus this year, with more than 30 percent of them traveling from the regions in East Java and Greater Jakarta. The government has required travelers to be vaccinated and take either an antigen or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test before starting their journey, as well as wear masks and consistently follow COVID-19 health protocols during travel to reduce the risks of transmission: https://www.thejakartapost.com/paper/2022/04/30/happy-mudik-at-last.html.
