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Associations ask Jakarta administration to allow wedding receptions amid restrictions
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A couple wearing face masks are married at a mosque in Banda Aceh on June 3, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. (AFP/CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN )
W
edding service business associations have requested that the Jakarta administration allow wedding receptions in the capital city during the period of transition to the so-called "new normal", offering health protocols to keep the business running amid the massive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indonesian Decoration Service Business Association (Aspedi), the Association of Indonesian Catering Service (PPJI) and the Association of Indonesian Documentation Business held a meeting with Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria and the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency on Wednesday to explain new wedding reception concepts for the new normal era.
In the meeting, the associations claimed they had prepared strict health protocols for wedding receptions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked the city to give permission to hold such events.
"We have prepared health protocols for wedding receptions in accordance with the health ministerial regulations, we will cooperate with wedding organizers to implement them," the head of Aspedi's Jakarta branch, Warsono, said as reported by tempo.co on Wednesday.
Read also: Semarang wedding party contributes to COVID-19 spike
Among the protocols prepared are limiting guest capacity, providing marks for physical distancing and separate routes to prevent crowding. Guests are also forbidden from shaking hands with the bride, groom or their families and they would take turns to arrive.
Warsono said his business had been greatly affected by the pandemic as many people cancelled reception events for their big day amid the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) imposed to curb the virus transmission. He expressed hope that his business would resume soon.
"We also felt the impact of the pandemic. Each decoration service business can usually hire up to 50 people, now their fates are unclear," he said.
Head of the Jakarta PPJI, Siti Djumiadini, said the catering business had also prepared new health protocols for wedding receptions during the transition period.
"One of the options we offered [to the Jakarta administration] was not providing a buffet for guests but giving them takeout meals instead," Siti said.
Read also: Pandemic paves way for small, intimate weddings
Head of the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Cucu Ahmad Kurnia, said the city decided to limit wedding ceremonies and receptions as they were very likely to create new clusters of the virus.
"Learning from other regions, we think wedding receptions are very prone to COVID-19 transmission, especially in densely populated areas since usually there are no officials to make sure the guests follow the health protocols," Cucu said on Wednesday.
He said the health protocols proposed by the association were quite sufficient to lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission, however, the administrations would still need to further discuss the request with the Jakarta COVID-19 task force.
"We'll discuss it with the COVID-19 task force, they will decide [whether or not to give permission for wedding receptions] by considering [current] transmission rates of the coronavirus," Cucu said. (nal)
