Ban Mudik Travels to Curb Covid-19 Spread

Predictions that the transmission of the new coronavirus that caused COVID-19 will move outside the capital must be taken seriously, especially ahead of the Islamic holiday of Idul Fitri.

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

Passengers who will return to their hometowns queue to load their luggage into the bus at the Central Inter-Province Inter-Province (AKAP) bus agency Pondok Pinang, South Jakarta, Thursday (26/3/2020).

It is highly important to anticipate Jakarta-based workers traveling back to their hometowns during the holiday, a tradition locally known as mudik. As of now, Jakarta remains the region with the highest number of people with COVID-19. The virus has spread to all corners of the capital.

After the announcement of the first two positive cases on 2 March 2020, Indonesia currently has 1,046 positive cases, 87 fatalities and 46 recoveries. With the rate COVID-19 is transmitting at the moment, Indonesia will have 71,000 cases in late April (Kompas, 27/3/2020). If the transmission rate goes up, the number of cases will also rise.