Gov’t Relaxes Restrictions for Overseas Travelers

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan delivers statements after a Limited Cabinet Meeting, Monday (04/04). Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat/Rahmat.

The Government has announced that it will relax restrictions policy, including for overseas travelers following an improvement in the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Indonesia.

“The obligation to show a negative PCR test result in the country/region of origin within 2 days prior to departure remains in effect. However, a mandatory PCR test on arrival does not apply to all overseas travelers, and will only apply to those with COVID-19 symptoms, including fever and/or body temperature above 37.5 degrees Celsius,” Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said after a Limited Cabinet Meeting, Monday (04/04).

Airlangga said that the Government will also expand the Visa on Arrival (VoA) policy for overseas travelers at international airports across Indonesia, while the Visa-free policy for ASEAN countries will also be reinstated.

“The President has ordered us to reinstate free-visa policy for ASEAN countries and visa on arrival for other countries,” he said, adding that travelers must use the PeduliLindungi application.

Regarding the development of pandemic handling in Indonesia, Airlangga said that the effective reproduction rate (Rt) at the national level has improved in all islands.

“At the national level, effective case reproduction has improved last week. The number is 1 at the national level. The regions outside Java and Bali with the effective reproduction rate higher than 1 are Nusa Tenggara (1.01); Maluku (1.02); and Papua (1.01), while other regions recorded 1 effective reproduction rate,” the Coordinating Minister said.

For the record, as of April 4, 2022, there were 1,661 new cases [of COVID-19], a significant decrease (97.4 percent) from the highest number on February 16, 2022 with 64,718 cases. The number of active cases was 93,462 or 84.1 percent lower from that of February 24, 2022 with 586,113 cases.

In the meantime, the mortality number is 61 or 84.8 lower from that of March 8, 2022, with 401 deaths and Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) has decreased from 3.27 percent in early February 2022 to 2.58 percent.

In regions outside the islands of Java and Bali, the number of daily cases has also dropped. As of April 4, 2022, the number of active cases was 399 cases or 24.0 percent of the national daily cases, while the number of active cases was 35,771 or 38.3 percent of the national active cases.

The number of active cases in several provinces was still relatively high, but showed a downward trend. There are two provinces outside Java and Bali with the highest active cases, but with relatively low Bed Occupancy Rate (BOR) and COVID-19 Bed Conversion (TT), namely Papua and Lampung.

“In West Nusa Tenggara, although we held the MotoGP event, there was no significant increase in cases and West Nusa Tenggara remains at the level 1 [of the activity restrictions],” Airlangga said.

Regarding the progress of vaccination, the Coordinating Minister said that two provinces with first dose vaccination rate lower than 70 percent were West Papua and Papua. Meanwhile, 18 provinces recorded the second dose vaccination rate higher than 70 percent, 11 of which were outside the islands of Java and Bali.

For booster vaccinations, 16 provinces have recorded more than 10 percent vaccination rate, nine of which are outside the islands of Java and Bali.

“Regarding the elderly vaccination, eight provinces recorded less than 70 percent first dose [vaccination rate], while six provinces, including two provinces outside Java and Bali, recorded second dose vaccination rate higher than 70 percent for the elderly,” he remarked. (FID/JW/UN) (RI/MUR)