"I laud this step because it will help ease the burden on citizens and revive the transportation and tourism industries," he said in a written statement received here on Tuesday.
Even though the government no longer requires vaccinated people to undergo COVID-19 testing before traveling inside the country, Haroen urged everyone to continue to strictly comply with the health protocols.
He also asked the government to study the transition from the pandemic to the endemic phase in Indonesia.
The government must encourage the pandemic-endemic transition so that policies related to the health protocols can be eased afterward, he said.
"Do not let the current easing (of restrictions) trigger new negative effects. Thus, it is necessary to continuously monitor in detail to ensure that the easing is safe," he stressed.
According to Haroen, several other countries have started the transition and lifted health protocols.
However, in Indonesia, special considerations need to be made, such as maximizing booster vaccine recipients and maintaining health protocol implementation for travelers, he said.
Earlier, the Indonesian government had lifted the policy requiring domestic travelers to get tested for COVID-19, either through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or antigen tests.
The decision was made during the Limited Meeting on Evaluation of the Public Activity Restrictions (PPKM), which President Joko Widodo chaired on Monday, (March 7, 2022).
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, said that the new provision for land, sea, and air travel will apply to travelers who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine or have been fully vaccinated.
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Translator: Fauzi, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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