By: Putu Prawira )*

The year-end holidays should be a happy moment, had there been no pandemic in Indonesia. Even though there have been calls to stay at home, there are people who are still stubborn and traveling outside the city. We must be aware of the spike in corona cases after the holidays and adhere to health protocols. Usually, the last 2 weeks of December are welcomed, especially for children. They take time off and ask for recreation as a gift. But in 2020 the corona is still hitting, so people are urged to take a vacation at home. The government is worried about a surge in new corona cases from the long holiday cluster at the end of the year. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that the surge in infections occurred 10 to 14 days after the year-end holidays. If the holiday ends on January 1 or 2, the prediction of an increase in covid patients will occur on January 16-18, 2021. This is based on the experience of other corona clusters. Budi continued, usually after the holidays the number of corona patients will increase by 30-40% from usual. The reason is because people have higher mobility due to recreation. In that sense, there are still many people who don’t obey the rules and don’t want to go on vacation at home. The new Minister of Health urged the community to rest at least 5 days after the holidays. The increase in the number of corona patients is certainly heartbreaking, because before the holiday cluster, there were already more than 8,000 people who were infected with the Covid-19 virus per day. If you refer to data from the covid task force team, then on 23 December 2020 the total number of patients in Indonesia is 502,110 people. While on December 31, 2020, the total number of patients was 743,198. That means that in just 8 days, the number of patients jumped to more than 200,000 people. This figure is very sad, because people do not want to be orderly in maintaining health protocols. Because if they are on vacation, it is very difficult to apply physical distancing. Especially if you are traveling to the red zone, you are afraid to go home on vacation with the covid-19 virus. The government has anticipated it in various ways. First, local tourists going to Bali and several other places must show the results of a swab test and the results must be corona negative. Second, at several points such as toll road rest areas and other crowded places, random rapid tests are held. Travelers who tested positive for corona were driven away and had to go home. Third, in several cities such as Malang and Mojokerto, a curfew is imposed from 31 December to 3 January. The goal is that people do not dare to hold fireworks or barbeque parties in squares or other public places, during the New Year. The authorities are also on guard around Malioboro Jogja, to prevent crowds. Tourist attractions are also closed ahead of the new year until December 4. The goal is for people to cancel their vacation and return to rest at home. Owners of tourist attractions are expected to cooperate with the government and not open quietly, so that everyone is orderly and keeps their distance, and prevents the spread of corona. To reduce the spread of corona, we still have to adhere to health protocols. Never forget 3M: wearing a mask, washing your hands, and keeping your distance. Wear a mask for a maximum of 4 hours, according to WHO recommendations, so bring a spare mask in your bag. Also bring a hand sanitizer in case there is no place to wash your hands with antiseptic soap. Year-end holidays can be disastrous when everyone is engrossed in traveling and ignores government restrictions. The number of corona patients has increased due to the holiday cluster, and the community is hoped not to repeat this mistake. We are also obliged to adhere to health protocols for mutual safety. ) * The author is a contributor to the Cikini Press Circle and Students