First, implement a vaccination policy, so people, who come to Indonesia, are vaccinatedJakarta (ANTARA) - The government has tightened travel requirements for people coming from abroad to prevent the entry of a new coronavirus strain, the AY.4.2 variant, so-called the Delta Plus, by implementing mandatory vaccine regulations.
The government was increasing vigil against the emergence of this new virus variant, especially at all entry points to Indonesia, Director of Prevention and Control of Directly Infectious Diseases of the Ministry of Health Siti Nadia Tarmizi said when contacted here on Thursday.
Tarmizi explained that the Delta Plus variant of the coronavirus had again caused a spike in cases in other countries, such as the UK.
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Hence, Tarmizi noted that the government had implemented a mandatory vaccine policy for those coming to Indonesia from abroad.
"First, implement a vaccination policy, so people, who come to Indonesia, are vaccinated," she remarked.
Foreign nationals are required to have received the second dose. Meanwhile, Indonesian citizens that had just received the first dose while coming to Indonesia would be given a second dose of the vaccine after undergoing the quarantine period.
In addition, all arriving in Indonesia are also required to have received a negative PCR test thrice: in the country of origin, on first arriving in Indonesia, and on completing the quarantine period.
Everyone arriving in Indonesia is also required to undergo a five-day quarantine period for those vaccinated with the first dose and a three-day quarantine period for fully vaccinated people.
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Meanwhile, Head of the Professional Development Division of the Indonesian Association of Epidemiologists (PAEI) Masdalina Pane is concerned about reducing the quarantine period, from five days to three days for people coming to Indonesia from abroad.
Pane called on the government to step up vigilance whilst still tightening the quarantine period to prevent the entry of the Delta Plus variant.
The Delta Plus is a derivative virus variant of the Delta variant that hit Indonesia in mid-2021 and caused the highest spike in cases on record during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia.
This Delta Plus variant is said to be more dangerous than the earlier Delta variant.
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Translator: Aditya R, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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