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Indonesia faces post-Idul Fitri COVID-19 surge from Central Java, East Java
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A police officer manages traffic at a checkpoint between Yogyakarta and Central Java in Prambanan, Klaten, Central Java on May 12, 2021. The checkpoint was set up as part of the 'mudik' (exodus) ban imposed by the government around the Idul Fitri holiday to prevent COVID-19 transmission. (Antara/Aloysius Jarot Nugroho)
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oncerns are growing over another COVID-19 wave as Central Java and parts of East Java have recorded rising case numbers in the weeks following increased mobility during the Idul Fitri holidays.
National COVID-19 task force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito announced on Friday that the country saw a 15 percent increase in weekly nationwide cases in the week from May 24 to 30, preceded by a more significant 36 percent increase the week prior, from May 17 to 23.
Central Java experienced the biggest spike, recording 5,560 new cases from May 24 to 30, a jump of 1,879 from the number recorded during the previous week. On Tuesday, there were 11,160 active cases in the province.
Central Java is joined by eight others now classified as COVID-19 red zones, including Riau and East Java.
“I urge all regional heads, particularly those from the nine provinces classified as red zones this week, to increase COVID-19 testing for residents who have just returned from traveling or who were visited by family from outside the region during the last Idul Fitri period,” Wiku told a press briefing on Friday.
Kudus steals nationwide attention
In Central Java, Kudus regency saw an extreme spike in COVID-19 cases due to what Wiku described as "religious tourism", such as grave visits and social gatherings for local tradition kupatan.
