By: Elizabeth Lim) *
Chinese New Year falls on 12 February 2021, this Friday. As a result, there are long holidays at the end of the week, aka long weekends. The government urges people to spend Chinese New Year holidays at home, because the spread of corona is still crazy. Better to hold back, than to go home and get sick and helpless.
Chinese New Year is celebrated by all Indonesian citizens of Chinese descent. They are happy because they can freely put up lanterns and red decorations, since the Chinese New Year was made a holiday by the late former President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur). Usually, the day is celebrated in a big way, by eating with the family, then setting off firecrackers and watching the lion dance.
But unfortunately this year’s Chinese New Year is still in a pandemic era. Therefore, the government has acted decisively by prohibiting all people from taking holidays. West Jakarta Mayor Uus Kuswanto appealed to residents to celebrate Chinese New Year at home. Because if it is celebrated as usual, it will increase the crowd. Especially during the rainy season, body resistance can decrease.
This prohibition is very reasonable, because the government is obliged to maintain the security of its people and prevent the spread of corona. When Chinese New Year falls on Friday, there are 3 days off, aka long weekends. So that on this long holiday, it is feared that there will be the addition of a new corona cluster. Because people are busy traveling out of town for reasons of refreshing.
It is better if we just stay at home and entertain ourselves by watching movies on DVD or something else. Instead of being desperate to leave the city, then go home sick and end up in the hospital. If you feel healthy, don’t be happy just yet, because there is more OTG. Do not let there be a holiday cluster that ends in a family cluster, because visiting relatives and then transmitting corona to those who stay at home.
Remember the adage “it is better to prevent than to cure”. Better to refrain from vacationing at home. Moreover, when traveling by public transportation and requiring a rapid test result or swab, it is only valid for 1 day. This regulation is specifically applied during Chinese New Year, to prevent the mobility of citizens.
Prevention of mobility is important because the corona may become more widespread, when there are residents from the red zone to the yellow or green zone, and vice versa. Especially when they drive without health protocols, are lazy to wear masks and jostle in 1 car. The WHO research shows that corona spreads through the air, so the mobility of citizens can be very dangerous.
Don’t forget the fact that there are more and more corona patients. Even reaching more than 6,000 people per day. When being persuaded to travel by friends, because they take advantage of the Chinese New Year holiday, remember the patients who were lying in the hospital. They really want to recover from the torment of corona, and don’t let you have the same fate.
Make yourself happy even if you only vacation at home. If you miss dining with your extended family, invite them to a video call or virtual meeting via Zoom. So that you can still feel the warmth of the holiday, even though you don’t meet directly.
After all, this Chinese New Year is certainly devoid of celebrations. Because in public places such as shopping centers, it is forbidden to hold lion dance shows like in previous years. There is nothing wrong with celebrating Chinese New Year at home, because it is an effort to be free from corona.
When people are prohibited from spending their Chinese New Year holidays outside the home, then obey this rule and don’t be desperate to travel. Remember that currently it is still the Covid-19 pandemic. It is better to stay indoors, rather than take a vacation and come home and get infected with the corona.
) * The author is a citizen living in Tangerang
