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Indonesia eases quarantine rules to spur tourism
The government has reduced the mandatory quarantine period to five from seven days.
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Social distancing implementation at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali, managed by state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura I. (AP I/Handout)
T
he government will shorten the mandatory quarantine starting on Feb. 4 for all travelers entering the country to five days from seven days in a bid to boost international tourism, particularly in Bali.
Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan told reporters on Monday that only travelers with two doses of COVID-19 vaccine will be allowed to do the five-day quarantine, while those who only received the first jab must quarantine for seven days. The ministry made the decision based on the Omicron variant’s incubation period of three days.
“This step to shorten the quarantine also takes into account the need to reallocate resources. Places previously used to quarantine travelers will now be used for centralized isolation,” he said.
Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said at a separate press conference on Monday that only travelers entering Indonesia with an e-visa would be eligible for the shorter quarantine period.
“We’ve modified the regulation so that we can continue to bounce back [from the pandemic],” he said. “This is also to prepare us for [Group of 20] G20 side meetings.”
Read also: Domestic travelers ‘not enough’ to revive Bali tourism
Indonesia, which holds the G20 presidency for 2022, is set to host most of the group's events in Jakarta and Bali, with the biggest event – the G20 Summit – to be held in the island-province in October. Around 18,000 delegates are expected to attend these events.
