Starting March 14, PPLN To Bali Will Be Quarantine-free, These Are The Conditions

Illustration - Soekarno-Hatta Airport/Antara

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Panjaitan said that starting March 1, 2022, the government will only impose a 3-day quarantine period for foreign travelers (PPLN) entering Indonesia.

The government is also conducting quarantine-free trials for travelers who want to vacation in Bali on March 14. Luhut said that of several countries that did not enforce population quarantine, Indonesia was actually still lower than that country. However, Indonesia's case fatality rate is still relatively high and complete vaccination of the existing population is still lower than that of that country. Based on these data, the government continues to apply a cautious and gradual approach in determining the adjustment of the PPLN quarantine. "After hearing input from experts and analyzing existing data, on March 1, the government will only impose a 3-day quarantine for PPLNs that have complete vaccines and also boosters," Luhut said in a press conference that was monitored online, Sunday, 27 February. The government will also conduct a non-quarantine test for PPLN coming to Bali and it is planned to take effect on March 14 with several conditions. Among them, PPLNs who come must show payment for hotel bookings that have been paid for at least 4 days or show proof of domicile in Bali for Indonesian citizens. "PPLN must have been fully vaccinated or booster. PPLN performs a PCR test and waits in the hotel room until the negative test result comes out. After that, PPLN can be free to do activities with Prokes still being applied," Luhut explained. Then, he continued, PPLN again carried out a PCR test on the third day at their respective hotels. "This is for our common security," he said. This trial period without quarantine in Bali will be implemented with the provision of daily antigen tests on participants without exception. In addition, there will be a revocation of the guarantor sponsor for tourist e-visas because it is considered burdensome for foreign tourists who will enter. Luhut said the government could speed up the trial period on March 14 if the COVID-19 data during the next week improved. "Because in Bali, we have seen the numbers continue to improve in the last few weeks. We can accelerate the March 14 target on Saturday and Sunday if the evaluation of the trend of cases shows improving results," said Luhut. Luhut said the government appointed Bali as a pilot because the second level of vaccination was already high compared to other provinces. However, the government will continue to accelerate the doses for both elderly and boosters. "If the trial in Bali is successful, the government will expand the area without quarantine in Indonesia faster than April 1, 2022," said the PPKM coordinator in Java-Bali.