The Government Decides To Board A Plane With Enough Antigen, Epidemiologists: Good News, The Right Step

ILLUSTRATION/BETWEEN

JAKARTA - Epidemiologist from Australia's Griffith University, Dicky Budiman welcomed the cancellation of the use of PCR results as a travel requirement for airplane passengers.

According to him, this step is appropriate so that it is good news, especially for those who often use this mode of transportation.

"In addition to being good news, the meaning is appropriate because it is in accordance with the public health strategy," he said when contacted by VOI, Tuesday, November 2.

He said that the use of the rapid antigen test results as a health document for travelers was sufficient. Moreover, said Dicky, this rapid test method is cheaper than the PCR test, which is expensive and often difficult for the public to access.

"Indeed, a cost-effective testing strategy in accordance with current public health is the rapid antigen test," he said.

Moreover, currently there are many choices of antigen rapid test kits that the public can choose, which of course is in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). So that people can easily access it at a lower cost.

"So this is good news that we really appreciate and the government really hears this input," said Dicky.

As previously reported, the government has officially announced the abolition of the mandatory PCR test requirements for flight or air transportation travellers. Thus, the results of the rapid antigen test are again valid as a condition of travel.

This was announced by the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy. However, he did not explain when this rule would come back into effect and about the changes to the rules.

"For travel, there will be changes, namely for the Java and Bali regions, air travel no longer requires using PCR tests, but only using antigen tests. The same as what has been applied to areas outside Java, non-Bali," said Muhadjir in a virtual press conference, Monday, November 1st.

It is known that the mandatory PCR rules apply to passengers on domestic flights in the Java-Bali (PPKM Level 1-4) and outside Java-Bali (PPKM Level 4-3) areas and have been in effect since October 24, 2021.

This rule is contained in the Circular (SE) of the Task Force No. 21 of 2021, Instructions of the Minister of Home Affairs (InMendagri) Number 53 and Number 54 of 2021 and 4 SE from the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) Numbers 86, 87, 88 and 89 of 2021.

The government's excuse is that this step was taken following the anticipation of a new wave of COVID-19. In fact, the mandatory PCR plan as a condition of travel will be extended to all other long-distance transportation modes. The reason is to anticipate a surge in mobility in the 2022 Christmas and New Year periods.