All of Indonesia to observe Level 3 PPKM during Christmas and New Year break

The upcoming holiday season is set to bring tidings of joy … and Level 3 PPKM for all of Indonesia as the government aims to avoid another wave of COVID-19 cases.

Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy issued a written statement yesterday evening announcing that all of Indonesia will be under the third level of the four-tiered Enforcement of Restrictions on Public Activities (PPKM) protocol.

“During the Nataru (an official term combining the Indonesian words Natal, which means Christmas, and Tahun Baru, which means New Year) holiday, all of the rules and regulations contained in Level 3 PPKM will apply in all of Indonesia,” Muhadjir wrote, specifying that this period will go from Dec. 24, 2021 to Jan. 2, 2022.

As a refresher, here are some of the main rules in Level 3 PPKM:

• Offices for non-essential sectors limited to 25 percent capacity
• Supermarkets, traditional markets may open to 50 percent capacity until 9pm
• Restaurants/cafés may open to 50 percent capacity until 9pm, while establishments operating only in the evenings may open from 6pm until midnight
• Houses of worship must be limited to 50 percent capacity
• Fully-vaccinated domestic travelers must present a negative antigen test result, which is valid for one day, while partially-vaccinated travelers must present a negative PCR test result, which is valid for three days. 

In addition, Muhadjir announced several new prohibitions specifically for the holiday season, namely fireworks, parades, or any major events that could attract massive crowds.

The senior minister added that police, military and COVID-19 Task Force personnel will pay special attention to security and health protocol adherence at churches ahead of and during Christmas.

Jakarta, as well as satellite regions Tangerang city, Tangerang regency, Bogor city, and Bekasi regency are all currently under Level 1 PPKM, which carries the least strict mobility restrictions. There are currently 31 regions under Level 3 PPKM and no regions under Level 4 PPKM in Java and Bali, as the country continues to record low case numbers and recover from the devastating mid-year COVID-19 surge.