Govt Restricts Entry Points to Indonesia

KOMPAS/KRISTIAN OKA PRASETYADI

Prospective passengers pass through the lines marking the place to queue before entering the plane from the waiting room at Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Wednesday (10/6/2020).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Even though the Covid-19 situation in the country continues to improve, the risk of transmission is still high, especially from overseas. The government has therefore limited the points of entry for international arrivals to Indonesia.

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Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan told a press conference on the public activity restrictions (PPKM) on Monday (20/9/2021) that no regencies/cities in Java and Bali were currently categorized as PPKM level 4. Estimates from the University of Indonesia’s public health team show that the effective reproductive rate in Indonesia\'s fell to below 1, specifically to 0.98, for the first time since the pandemic emerged. This means that each confirmed Covid-19 case infects an average 0.98 people.

However, the risk of Covid-19 transmission still lingers, especially from overseas cases. To anticipate this, the government is limiting the points of entry for international arrivals to Indonesia and tightening the quarantine measures for both foreign and Indonesian nationals arriving from overseas.

Ports of entry by air are only open in Jakarta and Manado (North Sulawesi), while ports of entry by sea are open only in Batam and Tanjung Pinang in the Riau Islands, and ports of entry by land are only open at Aruk in Sambas regency and Entikong in Sanggau regency, both in West Kalimantan, as well as Nunukan in North Kalimantan, and Motaain in East Nusa Tenggara.

"We don\'t want to miss the entry of new variants, such as Mu and Lambda, into Indonesia yet again," said Luhut.

TANGKAPAN LAYAR KANAL YOUTUBE SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN

Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

According to President Joko Widodo\'s instruction in a limited Cabinet meeting, the relevant ministers were asked to anticipate a potential new wave of Covid-19. The quarantine measures remain strict with an eight-day quarantine period and three mandatory PCR tests. The government is also increasing quarantine and testing capacities at land ports of entry. The Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police (Polri) have been tasked with increasing surveillance on side streets in residential areas, both on land and at sea.

Open for children

Based on the current condition, the government has begun to relax entry to a number of public areas and is trialing entry to shopping centers for children under 12 years. The trials were conducted in Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, and Surabaya.

DOK HUMAS KEMENKO BIDANG PEREKONOMIAN

Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto.

Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto said that by 17 Sept. 2021, the national economic recovery program had realized up to Rp 395.92 trillion, or 53 percent of the Rp 744.77 trillion budget ceiling. Though the pandemic was under control, Airlangga said, there was still the risk that cases could increase due to increased mobility. (LKT/CAS)

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This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo).