Receiving Circular From The Ministry Of Health, The Riau Islands Provincial Government Near Singapore-Malaysia Increases COVID-19 Supervision At Ports

A number of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) queue for body temperature checks at the Batam Center International Port, Riau Islands, Thursday, May 21, 2020. (Between-M N Kanwa)

The Riau Islands Provincial Government (Kepri) through its Transportation Service (Dishub) has received a circular letter from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) regarding the COVID-19 vigilance that hit neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.

Head of the Riau Islands Transportation Agency, Junaidi, said the vigilance was aimed at ports in Batam, Tanjungpinang, and Karimun cities, which are integrated with neighboring countries.

"The port, which is integrated with neighboring countries, must prepare health protocols that have been set by the Health Quarantine, such as in Karimun, Tanjungpinang, Batam," he said when contacted, confiscated Friday, December 15.

In addition, he added that the circular was addressed to border areas with quite high foreign tourist visits (tourists). This is also in line with the moments of the 2023 Christmas and 2024 New Year holidays, where Riau Islands is one of the options for foreign tourists to visit.

Previously, the Batam Class I Port Health Office (KKP) increased supervision at international entrances, along with the increasing number of COVID-19 cases that occurred in Singapore.

Head of Batam Class I KKP Ahmad Hidayat in Batam, Thursday, said this was done by re-laying a body temperature measuring device at the city's international port.

"Actually, if we tighten and supervise it, starting with pneumonia cases, we have started socialization to the public and then carried out improvements and supervision at the port. That's what we did yesterday," said Ahmad.

He said that until now there were no special requirements for travel from abroad to Indonesia, but his party continued to monitor the entrance.