Gov’t Imposes COVID-19 Random Test, Mandatory Check Policy for Reverse Exodus Travelers

A virtual press conference on the anticipation of people mobility and prevention of the COVID-19 spread after Eid al-Fitr period, Saturday (15/05). Photo by: PR of Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs

In a bid to anticipate reverse-exodus after Eid al-Fitr period and prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Government has announced it will impose a policy on COVID-19 random-test and mandatory-check for travelers.

“The random-test applies for trips from several provinces in the island of Java to Jakarta, while the mandatory-check applies for trips from the island of Sumatra to the island of Java and to Jakarta. The policy will come into force as of 15 May 2021,” said Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, who also helms the Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery, on Saturday (15/05).

The COVID-19 mandatory-check on the documents of Rapid Test-Polymerase Chain Reaction Test (RT-PCR)/swab test antigen/GeNose test will be carried out for all travelers, in accordance with Circular of the COVID-19 Task Force Number 13 of 2021. The check will be carried out at the Bakauheni Ferry Terminal, Lampung.

Airlangga also said that the COVID-19 random-test will be carried out for travelers from the provinces of East Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, and West Java who return to Jakarta. The test will be conducted in 21 checkpoints spread in the island of Java.

Airlangga went on to say that all Governors in the islands of Sumatra and Java should take necessary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Any traveler with a positive COVID-19 result, he added, is required to undergo quarantine in facilities provided by the regional COVID-19 Task Force, with a referral to local health facilities.

Regarding the latest information on COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, Airlangga stated that the situation in Indonesia is relatively better than the global situation. Indonesia’s recovery rate is 91.85 percent, higher than the global recovery rate of 86.92 percent, while, the Indonesia’s active cases rate stands at 5.4 percent, lower than the global rate of 11 percent.

Airlangga stated that the contribution of COVID-19 cases in the island of Java to the total number of the national cases in this month decreased by 11.06 percent, while the contribution of COVID-19 cases in the island of Sumatra to the total number of the national cases increased by 27.22 percent.

The Coordinating Minister added that the death rate in the island of Java decreased by 16.07 percent while the death rate in the island of Sumatra increased to 17.18 percent.

He further said that the national Bed Occupancy Rate (BOR), as of 13 May, is 29 percent and the increase in positive cases in most provinces in Sumatra has resulted in several provinces having a fairly high BOR.

“We must closely monitor the increase (of the BOR). On the other hand, the control measures that we take this year have proven to be more effective than those of last year,” Airlangga remarked. (PR of Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs/UN) (RI/MUR)