Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Taiwan and Hong Kong are among the countries and territories that have either placed Indonesia on their travel ban list or considered doing so in the wake of a severe spike in COVID-19 cases in the archipelago. Twenty-six Schengen countries, meanwhile, still ban nonessential incoming travel from outside European Union countries, which includes Indonesia.

The Philippines announced on Wednesday that it would bar entry to all travelers coming from Indonesia or those with a recent travel history to the country. This came after the Philippine pandemic task force recommended the inclusion of Indonesia in its travel ban, which already includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the UAE and Oman.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte spokesman said the measure, which will be in effect from Friday to July 31, was taken to prevent the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant first found in India, Reuters reported.

Indonesia is currently battling a severe wave of COVID-19 that authorities say is driven by the Delta variant. The country recorded a record-breaking 54,517 new infections and 991 deaths on Wednesday, overtaking India as the worst-affected country in Asia.

On Java, hospitals are being stretched to their limit, with oxygen supplies running low and four or five designated COVID-19 burial grounds in Jakarta close to full.

In a similar move, Bahrain’s state news agency reported on Tuesday that its civil aviation affairs would also ban entry from Indonesia, along with 15 other countries. The ban follows the country’s move to suspend entry to travelers from countries on its “red list”, which includes India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Meanwhile, Singapore announced last week that it was reducing entry approvals for travelers from Indonesia who are not Singapore citizens or permanent residents. Such travelers will also need to present the results of a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken within 48 hours before departure.

The new measure, which took effect on Monday at 23:59 p.m., also prohibits travelers who have been in Indonesia within the last 21 days from transiting through Singapore.

Japanese expatriates scrambling to leave

Amid the worsening conditions in Indonesia, a plane carrying about 50 Japanese expatriates left Indonesia on Wednesday. The All Nippon Airways aircraft was to arrive at Narita International Airport near Tokyo later in the day, according to sources from the Japanese government and general contractor Shimizu Corp., as reported by Kyodo News agency.

The company reportedly decided to charter the plane and evacuate its Japanese employees and their family members from Indonesia, as the country is experiencing a shortage of hospital beds and medical-use oxygen.

The evacuation came after nine expatriates died between June 26 and July 12 after contracting the virus in Indonesia. Some of them were in their 30s and 40s, NHK reported.

A spokesperson to the Japanese Embassy in Jakarta denied on Wednesday that the move had been an evacuation effort carried out by the Japanese government.

“The flight that was carried out this morning was carried out at the initiative of a Japanese private company,” the spokesperson said in a written statement obtained by The Jakarta Post.

It was previously reported that Japan’s chief Cabinet secretary, Katsunobu Kato, had said the Japanese government would support special flights for citizens wishing to return home from Indonesia, where infections are surging.

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry has declined to comment.

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