National COVID-19 Task Force spokesman Wiku Adisasmito said COVID-19 trends in Indonesia had shown positive signs of being under control, especially as the World Health Organization had lifted the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) status of COVID-19.

To maximize Indonesia’s economic recovery and the process of transition into an endemic, the National COVID-19 Task Force has relaxed [COVID-19] restrictions,” Wiku said in a statement on Friday.

He said the task force had issued a new circular letter, dated Friday June 9, 2023 with the latest and more relaxed health protocols for both domestic and international travels, large-scale activities and on public facilities, while residents are still urged to take personal care and responsibilities in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

According to the circular, people who are healthy and not at risk of spreading or being infected by COVID-19 are allowed to not wear masks.

However, COVID-19 vaccinations are still encouraged up until the second booster shot or the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, especially for the vulnerable population such as the elderly and people with comorbidities.

People who feel unwell or are at risk of spreading COVID-19 are advised to use face masks, as well as to practice social distancing and to avoid crowds.

Carrying a hand sanitizer and washing hands with soap and water are also still encouraged to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, especially after touching public surfaces.

The use of SatuSehat, the health platform from the relaunched COVID-19 testing and tracing app PeduliLindungi, is also recommended to monitor personal health.

Meanwhile, operators and organizers of transportation facilities, public facilities and large-scale activities together with regional administrations are still expected to take preventive steps to control the spread of COVID-19.

Wiku said while the World Health Organization (WHO) had not yet declared that the COVID-19 pandemic was over, Indonesia must prepare for the disease’s transition into an endemic with the latest health protocols that emphasized personal and collective responsibility in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

“If a lot of countries could control COVID-19 by keeping the number of cases down, the WHO would consider ending its pandemic status. Now, it is the people’s responsibility in this transition to an endemic to protect each other from the spread of COVID-19,” Wiku said.

According to the task force, on Friday, Indonesia recorded 190 new daily confirmed cases, bringing the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 6,809,821 since the first case was confirmed on March 2, 2020.

As many as 74.5 percent of the targeted population had received their completed dosage of the COVID-19 vaccination, followed by 37.9 percent and 1.7 percent for the first and second booster shots, respectively.

Serology surveys by the government has also found that as many as 99 percent of Indonesians have developed immunities against COVID-19 as of January 2023.

Jakarta follows suit

The Jakarta Transportation Agency lifted the mask requirement on public transportation also on Friday, with city-owned public transportation operators implementing the ease of restrictions to immediate effect.

“[Commuters] are allowed to take off their masks as long as they’re healthy and at no risk of infecting or being infected with COVID-19,” agency head Syafrin Liputo wrote in a circular dated June 9. “For those feeling unhealthy or possibly infected with COVID-19, it’s still advisable to wear masks in public facilities.”

Through their respective social media accounts, public transportation operators TransJakarta, MRT Jakarta and LRT Jakarta have announced that they have accordingly dropped the mask mandate, which had been in effect since April 2020.

The government lifted the nationwide public activity restrictions (PPKM) at the beginning of the year, including the general mask mandate. Despite the lifting of PPKM, public transportation operators in Jakarta still required commuters to wear masks while in transit until the circular as issued on Friday.

However, state-owned railway operator PT KAI Commuter Indonesia (KCI), which serves the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area, has yet to follow suit. “For now, we’re still following the existing health protocols while we await new regulations from the Transportation Ministry." KCI public relations manager Leza Arlan told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Unlike city-owned TransJakarta and MRT Jakarta, KCI remains a subsidiary of the state-owned enterprise PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), and falls under the authority of the Transportation Ministry.

Looking at the current situation, epidemiologist Dicky Budiman said that it was feasible for the government to drop the mask mandate. “But the threat of COVID-19 still exists, not in terms of fatality, but how long COVID-19 could severely impact someone’s quality of life and how repeated infections could damage someone’s organs,” Dicky told the Post on Sunday.

Even if masks are no longer mandatory, Dicky argues that the government still has a responsibility to communicate the importance of wearing masks in public. “Masks aren’t just for COVID-19, but also to guard against pollution, which is important in a metropolitan with poor air quality such as Jakarta,” Dicky said.