US Orders Its Citizens Not To Go To Indonesia, Here's What The Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Says

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JAKARTA - The United States (US) government issued an advisory for its citizens who plan to go to Indonesia or Travel Advisory on June 8.

As reported by travel.state.gov, this appeal is due to the high risk of COVID-19 transmission, the threat of terrorism, to riots in a number of areas, especially Papua and Central Sulawesi.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, said that the Travel Advisory level 3 (reconsider to travel) issued by the US Government (State of Department/DOS) for Indonesia was actually a decrease from the previous status, namely Level 4 (do not travel), which was issued DOS on April 21, 2021. This travel advisory is intended for 60 other countries.

"Currently, more than 60 countries are in level 3, and Indonesia's current position is the same as other countries such as Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Denmark, Germany, and China", said Teuku Faizasyah when contacted by VOI, Sunday, June 13.

He added, apart from the travel advisory, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, in the last few months there have been a series of visits by heads of government and high-ranking foreign officials to Indonesia.

Some of them are Heads of Government and Foreign Ministers of ASEAN member countries in order to attend the ASEAN Leaders Meeting, the visit of the British Foreign Minister, the US Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Vice President of the European Commission/EU Foreign Minister.

Furthermore, continued Teuku Faizasyah, from another perspective, the change in the status of the travel advisory reflects the increasing confidence of the US Government in the Government's efforts in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, both through strict implementation of health protocols and mass vaccination efforts that are being carried out throughout the country.