Groups Of General Tourists To Yogyakarta Must Bring Health Certificate

Zero Kilometer Point tourist area Yogyakarta, DIY. (AR / Between acres)

YOGYAKARTA - The Yogyakarta City Government has taken stricter steps regarding the rules for the arrival of tourist groups by requiring tourists to carry a healthy certificate. This policy was carried out to prevent efforts to transmit COVID-19.

"For groups of general tourists, they are expected to bring a health letter. At the end of last week, not all tourists have obeyed the rules by bringing a health letter," said Deputy Mayor of Yogyakarta Heroe Poerwadi, quoted by Antara, Thursday, July 23.

According to him, the regulations for tourists to carry a healthy letter will be more tightened this weekend. In fact, tourists may not be allowed to continue their visit to a number of tourist objects in Yogyakarta if they do not carry a health certificate.

At the end of last week, 38 large tourist buses entered the Senopati Special Parking Area (TKP) carrying 1,341 passengers. The tourists mostly come from various cities and districts in East Java, Central Java, West Java and Jakarta.

The record does not include data from TKP Abu Bakar Ali, but it is estimated that the number of buses entering the parking area is around 50 percent of the buses in Senopati. The average bus meets the maximum capacity rule, which is 70 percent of the total capacity.

"At the end of last week, a bus carrying a group of tourists was asked not to drop off tourists in Yogyakarta because it did not carry a health certificate," he said.

Heroe added, the large number of tourist travel agencies from outside the region that offer open tourist visits to Yogyakarta and its surroundings raises concerns about the potential for transmission of the corona virus.

"They offer tour trips in general, not for specific communities. That means anyone can register to join the tour. This condition needs to be watched out for," he said.

Yogyakarta City Government limits tourist visits by prioritizing tourists from families, certain communities, or from agencies.

"Thus, it can be screened since the departure because of course the community knows the health condition of each member who is on the tour. They are still asked to bring a health certificate," he said.

On Wednesday, July 22, there were an additional 4 positive cases in Yogyakarta City, so that a total of 7 patients confirmed positive for COVID-19 who are currently undergoing treatment, with 38 patients recovering and 2 dying.

Of these additional cases, 2 of them had a history of travel outside the region. "From this addition, residents who also travel out of town, especially the red or black zone, must be careful with wearing masks, keep their distance, wash their hands," he said.

The same health protocol, he continued, also applies to residents in the city of Yogyakarta including all business establishments and public services including hotels, restaurants, cafes that serve many people from outside the region to strictly implement health protocols.

"When there are many guests or tourists from outside the region, there is no other choice but to tighten and strengthen health protocols in their respective neighborhoods," he said.

He believes, when a public service place is able to apply health protocols well, it will be more favored by the public because people will feel safer and more comfortable.

"I am sure that the public prefers to undergo health protocols rather than being exposed to COVID-19," he said.