Ensuring safe Eid exodus with PeduliLindungi

The PeduliLindungi application, which was developed as part of the government’s efforts to handle the COVID-19 pandemic, has been widely used by the community ever since its launch in 2020.

The features of the application have continued to be improved from time to time.

When it was first launched, the most notable feature of the application was that it provided a map of COVID-19 cases in the surrounding area. The zoning map was divided by color, based on the COVID-19 transmission risk in each area. If the color was red, it meant that the area was at risk due to many confirmed cases of COVID-19.

At the time, the feature could help users make decisions when they had to travel. However, the feature is no longer available on the PeduliLindungi application.

The display of PeduliLindungi now is very different compared to the version that was launched in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the country. Ever since the government rolled out a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination program in 2021, every individual is required to register with the application, especially for vaccination and getting vaccine certificates.

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As the Eid homecoming exodus is being held amid the ongoing pandemic in Indonesia, the utilization of the PeduliLindungi application is undoubtedly crucial to ensuring that the community stays safe while traveling.

Main features for supporting the Eid exodus

This year, for the first time since the pandemic started, the Indonesian government has allowed people to travel to their hometowns to celebrate Eid al-Fitr in view of the improving COVID-19 situation in the country.

According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Transportation, 85.5 million citizens will take part in the Eid homecoming exodus this year.

One of the important roles of the PeduliLindungi application in the exodus is allowing people to access their vaccine certificates.

Vaccine certificates are crucial for this year's homecoming trip because the government has made them mandatory for using public transportation such as planes and trains.

The large number of vaccinated citizens in the country was one of the reasons that boosted the government's confidence to allow people to take part in the exodus this year.

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According to a serological survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Pandemic Team of the Faculty of Public Health at the University of Indonesia, 86.6 percent of the Indonesian population has antibodies against COVID-19.

The body’s immunity against COVID-19 can be strengthened through vaccination and formed naturally after getting infected with the virus.

The PeduliLindungi application has certainly played a role in determining the homecoming policy this year; for example, through the vaccine certificate feature, the government can find out how many people have been vaccinated, either with the first, second, or booster dose.

The data presented by the PeduliLindungi application is valid because it is handled by the Ministry of Health.

In line with the continuous betterment of the application, PeduliLindungi can now load vaccine certificates of people other than those of the account owner, especially the vaccine certificates of family members who are children, elderly, or do not have a mobile phone number and cannot access the application.

Meanwhile, homecomers who do not meet the vaccination requirement to join the exodus are required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result.

In this case, PeduliLindungi is helping people to get their COVID-19 test results integrated with the application.

If people undergo the COVID-19 test at a clinic, hospital, or laboratory affiliated with the Ministry of Health, their antigen or PCR test results will be submitted to PeduliLindungi.

The application can even load more than one result of tests carried out within ten days.

To help people access vaccination services, the latest version of the application has a feature to search for vaccination locations by district and city. The search results include where the vaccination location is and which vaccines are available, based on data from the previous two weeks.

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The other convenience that PeduliLindungi is offering for people during the exodus is the integration of the electronic Health Alert Card or e-HAC that homecomers must fill.

Besides these features, one of the most popular features of the application is the check-in feature. When entering public facilities such as stations, malls, and restaurants, people are required to scan the QR code at the entrance gate using the check-in feature.

Recently, the government released an update of the application, which lets users add other profiles for the check-in feature. Thus, users can add the profiles of their relatives who do not have a phone using the feature when entering public facilities.

Continuous improvement

The changes in the features provided by PeduliLindungi over the last two years have shown that the government has continued to improve the application.

For citizens who want to travel abroad, the government has provided WHO-standard vaccine certificates on PeduliLindungi.

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Recently, the Ministry of Health also launched a new feature called "Sijejak" on the app, which allows COVID-19 contact tracing using Bluetooth.

The feature can make it easier for authorities to trace close contacts of COVID-19 patients by adopting the BlueTrace method used by the Singapore government's TraceTogether application.

Indeed, PeduliLindungi still has the potential to be developed further, for example, by integrating more telemedicine services and enhancing the search feature for people seeking to visit the nearest health facilities.

Even though the application can support people during the Eid exodus, implementing the COVID-19 health protocol remains paramount for ensuring a safe homecoming.

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