Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, third left, inspects an immigration check point at the international terminal of Juanda Airport in Surabaya, East Java, December 31, 2021. (Antara Photo/Umarul Faruq)
JANUARY 14, 2022
Jakarta. The Indonesian government has decided to reopen borders for all international visitors by lifting the remaining entry ban for 14 countries imposed in the wake of the Omicron outbreak, a spokesman said on Friday.
Health and immigration authorities began to reintroduce the list of countries from where travelers were banned from entering Indonesia to reduce the risk of the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant in mid-November.
The list, mostly comprises southern African countries, has been updated regularly and most recently included the United Kingdom, Denmark, and France.
However, the national Covid-19 task force considered the ban no longer relevant with a vast majority of countries around the world confirming Omicron cases.
“If we maintain travel restrictions by countries, it will disturb cross-border travels and eventually impede the national economic recovery,” task force spokesman Wiku Adisasmito said in a statement.
He said 76 percent of countries around the globe have reported Omicron transmissions, making it impossible for Indonesia to discriminate restrictions by countries.
The country itself has recorded 572 Omicron cases as of Friday, according to Health Ministry data.
All international visitors are now required to self-isolate for seven days upon arrival regardless of their country of origin, Wiku said.
“The aim of the quarantine is to provide a window to detect infection until the onset of the symptoms so that we can keep any infected person away from the community,” Wiku said.
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