Starting next week, Indonesians and foreign nationals who have received their booster vaccine dose will have their quarantine period reduced to three days upon arrivalJakarta (ANTARA) - The government will cut the quarantine period for Indonesians and foreign nationals entering Indonesia from five days to three days, Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has said.
"Starting next week, Indonesians and foreign nationals who have received their booster vaccine dose will have their quarantine period reduced to three days upon arrival," Pandjaitan said at a press conference here on Monday.
All travelers will need to take the COVID-19 PCR test upon arrival and on the last day of their quarantine, and travelers whose last COVID-19 test yields a negative result will be allowed to proceed with their journey, he added.
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The government will encourage travelers who complete their quarantine to take another COVID-19 PCR test on the fifth day after their arrival in Indonesia and report their health condition to the nearest public health center or health facility, he added.
The coordinating minister confirmed that the government is planning to impose the three-day quarantine regulation on all foreign arrivals from March 1, 2022, if the domestic COVID-19 situation improves.
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"If the domestic situation and vaccination coverage continues improving, it is possible that we might no longer impose centralized quarantine for all overseas travelers by April 1, 2022, or sooner; yet this depends on the pandemic situation and progress on pandemic handling," Pandjaitan said.
The government has also adjusted the maximum permitted office capacity in regions under Level 3 activities restriction enforcement (PPKM) from 25 percent to 50 percent to remedy the economic effects from the imposition of the PPKM level, he informed.
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Besides office spaces, the maximum capacity of public activity centers and tourism attractions has been doubled to 50 percent, he said.
The new directive will be enacted through a Home Affairs Ministry regulation that would be issued today, the coordinating minister disclosed.
"The government concludes that we still have sufficient spaces to impose a lighter COVID-19 circuit-breaker to prevent negative effects on the economy because our focus is to balance our health sector capability with economic recovery," Pandjaitan remarked.
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Translator: Sugiharto P, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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