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THE MINISTER of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, emphasized that the 2022 Mandalika MotoGP at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Province, must continue.
However, Sandiaga stated, the implementation of interstate travel corridors during the pandemic in the form of a travel bubble for all crews, drivers, and officials involved must also be carried out.
“So we have conveyed that the show must go on by preparing a travel bubble, which is a best practice that has been carried out for crews and racers at previous similar events,” said Sandiaga as quoted in a press release by the Director General of Information and Public Communication of the Ministry of Communications and Informatics received in Jakarta, Thursday night (1/20).
According to Sandiaga, there is no special treatment for the riders, crew, or officials who will participate in the most prestigious motorcycle racing event in the world.
“Everyone who comes from abroad will undergo a travel bubble pattern. This travel bubble step has also been tested in preparation for the G20 events in Bali and in Jakarta in December 2021, as well as the 2021 World Superbike (WSBK) event,” he said.
He added, in fact, preparations for implementing health protocols (prokes) for inter-country travel will be increased so as not to trigger the potential for new cases of COVID-19 spread caused by the Omicron variant.
“This is a directive from the President (Joko Widodo) as well. I believe all parties join hands to prepare and ensure that MotoGP is a signal to the world about our readiness to hold international events, such as the G20 and other international conferences,” Sandiaga remarked.
Regarding the objections of the MotoGP commercial rights holder (Dorna Sport) to the implementation of strict procedures for crew, riders and officials, Sandiaga said, this travel bubble pattern was prepared with great care and vigilance.
According to Sandiaga, the local MotoGP organizing committee has coordinated with the Ministry of Health, through the COVID-19 task force, based on the government’s priorities for controlling the corona virus. The control of COVID-19 in Indonesia has been appreciated by the world as one of the best or best practices.
“Of course (the achievement of controlling COVID-19) we need to maintain and this is what we continue to communicate that there is a travel bubble provision, namely within 1×24 hours all crew, drivers and also officials will undergo the travel bubble provisions starting from their arrival at the airport to the hotel after arriving at the airport. carried out a PCR test and this has been adjusted according to the rules of the Ministry of Health,” Sandiaga Uno noted.
Based on the experience of organizing the WSBK World Superbike race in 2021, Sandiaga is optimistic that the MotoGP event will contribute significantly to improving the local and national economy.
“From an economic perspective, we see a 20-25% increase in the economy after the World Super Bike and we see that in 2022 the MotoGP event will be at least 3-4 times larger,” Sandiaga Uno concluded. [antaranews/photo special]
