JAKARTA (UCAN): The Indonesian government banned Christmas celebrations involving mass gatherings in public places and warned churches to implement stricter Covid-19 protocols when holding services.
The move followed the announcement of the country’s first case of the Omicron variant on December 16 involving a cleaner at a hospital in Jakarta.
Wiku Adisasmito, the government’s Covid-19 spokesperson, said the government does not want to implement an outright ban on services, so each church was asked to establish committees tasked with strictly implementing health protocols during Christmas Masses.
“This would also include limiting church attendances to 50 per cent of capacity,” he said.
However, Christmas activities involving mass gatherings in public places such as carol concerts or events in shopping malls were banned.
Church spokesperson, Susiana Suwadie, said the Archdiocese of Jakarta asked Catholics to only attend Christmas Masses in their respective parishes.
“All parishes should commit to following the government regulation,” she said.
Philip Situmorang, spokesperson of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia, said all churches will abide by the new rules.
“We have called for Christians to implement the health protocols and cooperate with the Church’s task force on Covid-19,” he said.
