According to a report in Jakarta Post, most Indonesians would visit their hometowns and gather with family during the Idul Fitri holiday and by pushing the holiday to December, the country hopes to stop the travelling for a while.

The report, quoting Indonesia’s Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy, said while Idul Fitri will be observed, the four-day Idul Fitri collective leave has been moved to Dec 28-31, from May 26-29.

“This policy is a follow up to a directive from the President [...] related to the no mudik appeal and the altering of the 2020 Idul Fitri collective leave, ” he said in a statement.

The government also added collective leave on Oct 28 to commemorate the birth of Prophet Muhammad.

“Shifting the collective leave to the end of the year was done in consideration that COVID-19 would be handled properly [by then]. In addition, at the end of the year, children will be on school break and families will have had enough time to plan vacations.”