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People eager to travel as govt cancels plans for stricter year-end curbs
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Extra cautious: Passengers wait to board an intercity train at Senen Station in Central Jakarta in 2020, as they head to their hometowns in the eastern part of Java for the New Year holiday. State-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia requires passengers and staff to adhere to strict health protocols to curb COVID-19. (JP/Leo)
T
he government’s recent move to scrap its plan to impose tougher curbs during the year-end holidays has been largely welcomed by the public, many of whom are eager to celebrate the holidays with friends and family in their hometowns.
Budi Yaqub Busro, 30, a private-sector employee who resides in Bogor, West Java, said he planned to take his 2-year-old son to Purwokerto, Central Java, where they will spend the upcoming holiday season with his extended family.
“This holiday season is the perfect time to meet with my relatives, who mostly live in different cities. We plan to hold a small gathering to celebrate the recent birth of my niece,” said Budi.
He added that he was not worried about the possible threat of contracting COVID-19 during the gathering, saying that he felt safe as cases had been continuously declining across the country and that most of his family were vaccinated.
Nicholas, a 27-year-old journalist from West Jakarta, also said that he could not wait to get back to his hometown of Yogyakarta to celebrate Christmas with his extended family.
“I’ve taken a week’s leave from my job so I can celebrate Christmas with my college friends and family members in my hometown,” Nicholas told The Jakarta Post on Friday. He added that he was not concerned about the threat of the emerging Omicron COVID-19 variant, saying that he planned to follow health protocols during large gatherings, including maintaining a physical distance and wearing a mask.
Read also: New regulation sends mixed signals on holiday curbs
