If there are tourists who come in large groups using tourist buses, the group leader must be responsible for showing that all the tourists brought have met the travel requirementsYogyakarta (ANTARA) - The Yogyakarta city government has said it will intensify checks of vaccination and negative COVID-19 certificates of tourists coming to the city on weekends and block several entry points to the city.
"So, anyone who comes to Yogyakarta, including tourists or residents who travel from outside the region, must complete vaccination documents as well as negative COVID-19 results," Deputy Mayor Heroe Poerwadi said here on Friday.
Random checks on tourists will be conducted in several public areas visited by many tourists, down to the parking lot, he informed.
Travel documents in the form of vaccination certificates and negative COVID-19 results of both PCR and antigen tests have been mandated by the National COVID-19 Task Force, he pointed out.
“These documents are a requirement for interregional travelers. This means that if there are tourists from outside the region who will enter Yogyakarta, they must meet the conditions that have been set," he explained.
To make checking easier, travelers from outside the city must download the PeduliLindungi application, given that it is mandatory for visiting some places, such as malls, cafes, and restaurants, Poerwadi urged.
"If there are tourists who come in large groups using tourist buses, the group leader must be responsible for showing that all the tourists brought have met the travel requirements," he said.
Travel agency managers must comply with the travel terms and conditions and not carry passengers who have not been vaccinated and do not have a negative COVID-19 result, he added.
“Documents brought must be original. Never bring fake documents because it could end up being a criminal act," he warned.
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Yogyakarta Mayor Haryadi Suyuti concurred that Yogyakarta cannot refuse the tourists arriving in the city. However, tourists who come are expected to meet the travel requirements, he stressed.
"(Tourists' status) It has to be vaccinated and negative for COVID-19. While in Yogyakarta, you must also (adhere to) health protocols," Suyuti reiterated.
Head of the Technical Implementation Unit for the Yogyakarta Cultural Conservation Area, Ekwanto, said random checks of vaccination documents and negative COVID-19 certificates have been consistently carried out in Malioboro, the main tourist area in Yogyakarta.
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“It is possible that there will be an increase in the number of tourists this weekend. We will further improve the guarding and checking of vaccination documents at the entry points," he said.
Initially, there were still many tourists who had not met the document requirement, he added.
"However, recently many have been able to show vaccination certificates," Ekwanto said.
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Translator: Eka Arifa R, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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