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Indonesia is currently facing a sharp rise in the number of COVID 19 cases. The country had only recently welcomed its first international flight in nearly two years. It is believed that the omicron variant is responsible for the spike, which is why the nation has decided to temporarily ban international tourists from entering the country through Jakarta’s airport. The latest rule has been imposed upon foreign visitors and also its citizens who went abroad for holidays.
The Transport Ministry confirmed this decision to ban foreign travellers from entering through Jakarta, suggesting that it should slow down the spike in covid cases. The country recorded a total of 36,000 infections on February 6, while occupancy rate at hospitals in Jakarta reached 63 per cent.
However, in-bound flights are still operating at the Bali airport, the Batam airport, and the Tanjung Pinang airport in Riau Islands. The ministry said, “Indonesian citizens and foreigners travelling from abroad for tourism purposes can enter via Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport (Bali), Hang Nadim Airport (Batam), and Raja Haji Fisabilillah Airport (Tanjung Pinang). Therefore (other than these airports), travellers from abroad for tourism purposes can also enter via Soekarno-Hatta airport.”
It should also be noted that Jakarta is currently under curfew from midnight to 4:00 am. It is being estimated that this surge may peak in late February. Bali, being a hotspot for travellers, on the other hand had opened its doors to foreign visitors from 19 countries last October.
photo credit: wikimedia commons
