Government Removes Quarantine Provisions For Overseas Travelers Gradually Per April 1

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JAKARTA - The government intends to abolish the quarantine provisions for foreign travelers (PPLN) arriving in Indonesia as of April 1, 2022, said an official from the Ministry of Health.

"The government is gradually reducing the number of quarantine days for foreign travelers," said Health Ministry Spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, March 1.

This provision is carried out by the relevant authorities in stages through a series of trials starting on March 1, 2022 by cutting the quarantine period from a week to three days for foreign travelers who have received complete or booster vaccinations.

The trial will continue on March 14, 2022 by lifting the quarantine provisions for arrivals in the province of Bali. "Of course, with the conditions of the requirements criteria that look at the development of the situation, including the requirements for vaccination and PCR examination," he said.

Since the door of tourist arrivals in Bali opened on February 4, 2022, Nadia said, more than 16,000 foreign tourists have come to Bali.

Nadia, who is also the Secretary of the Directorate General of Public Health of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, said the results of the trial would determine further policies in the form of abolishing quarantine provisions nationally starting April 1, 2022.

"On April 1, it is planned to carry out an implementation without quarantine to enter Indonesia. Further provisions will be regulated in the circular letter of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force," he said.

In an effort to reduce the rate of transmission of COVID-19, said Nadia, the government changed the conditions for using the electronic-Health Alert Card (e-HAC) as an Electronic Health Alert Card aimed at all domestic and international travelers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting today, the government will enforce e-HAC filling before travelers check-in which is integrated into the PeduliLindung application, so that domestic air, sea and land travelers can easily access it.

"Filling out the e-HAC on the D or D-1 from the departure schedule and contains travel eligibility information," he said.

If the e-HAC system states that the traveler cannot proceed with an unfit status, said Nadia, they will be directed to airport health officers or officers from the Port Health Office.

In addition, e-HAC also provides information that is not roadworthy due to the confirmation of COVID-19 with a black status. Roadworthy information or green status if the traveler meets the travel requirements.

The requirements include a negative PCR test result no later than 3x24 hours for those who have just received a dose of 1 vaccine or a negative result of an Antigen swab test no later than 1x24 hours before departure for those who have received a full dose of vaccination.