JAKARTA: Indonesians are turning to smugglers and bogus travel documents to get around bans on an annual end-of-Ramadan exodus that could send Covid-19 (coronavirus) cases skyrocketing in the world's biggest Muslim majority nation.
Thousands are using any trick in the book to reach their hometowns in time for celebrations at the end of Islam's holy fasting month this weekend, a festival known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri."I'm afraid people who go to other regions will come back infected and all of our efforts will be wasted."
It later relaxed those rules over concerns about a collapse in South-East Asia's biggest economy, but only for those who could prove they were virus-free and had a professional reason to travel. "We're very worried about her health if she stays in Jakarta," said Kamal, who asked that his real name not be used.
Widespread social distancing violations have generated a slew of angry responses -- under the hashtag #WhateverIndonesia -- from social media users fed up with fellow citizens' blatant rule breaking. Indonesia recorded its biggest one-day jump in virus cases this week with the nationwide death toll at 1,326 -- the highest in Asia outside China.
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