The quarantine policy for foreign travelers will continue to be evaluated based on the development of the Omicron variant.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, has urged the public to spend the upcoming holidays at domestic destinations to prevent the transmission of the Omicron or B.1.1.529 variant of COVID-19.

He cautioned people against traveling abroad for the Christmas and New Year holidays, saying the Omicron variant has the ability to spread very quickly, with an increasing number of countries reporting cases.

"Do not bring the variant into the country. Please restrain from going abroad until things get better," the coordinating minister remarked at an online press conference that was broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel on Monday.

Pandjaitan, who is also the Coordinator for the Enforcement of Community Activities Restrictions (PPKM) in Java-Bali, stressed that people should not travel abroad if not urgent.

Related news: AP I tightens health protocols at airports amid Omicron threat

According to state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura, the number of flights leaving for overseas destinations has increased by up to twofold compared to earlier, he noted.

Hence, anticipating the return of the people who have gone abroad, the government has decided to impose a 10-day quarantine, he said.

"The addition to the number of self-isolation places is to anticipate the increase in quarantined people. The quarantine policy for foreign travelers will continue to be evaluated based on the development of the Omicron variant," Pandjaitan added.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi informed that so far, there are more than 70 regions worldwide that have reported COVID-19 cases of the Omicron variant.

The United Kingdom, one of the 70 regions, has raised its COVID-19 alert from level 3 to level 4, following the addition of 1,239 cases of the new variant on December 12, 2021.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has confirmed through a genome sequencing test that the transmission of the variant has not been detected in Indonesia to date.
Related news: PCR devices installed at 6 int'l entry points amid Omicron threat



Translator: Indra Pribadi, Uyu Liman
Editor: Suharto
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