New Rules Out Of Indonesia, Indonesian Citizens Must Have Booster Vaccinations

Illustration of the situation at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang, Banten. (Between)

JAKARTA - The government states that Indonesian citizens (WNI) over 18 years who will travel abroad must have undergone a third or booster dose of vaccination.

This was conveyed by the Coordinator of the Team of Experts and Government Spokesperson for Handling COVID-19, Wiku Adisasmito, at an online press conference on the Development of Handling COVID-19 in Indonesia, Wednesday, July 13.

"This is solely for the safety of each individual and to ensure that the person concerned does not become a source of infection when he returns," he said.

Wiku said that the policy was stated in the Task Force Circular No. 22 of 2022 concerning Health Protocols for Overseas Travel during the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.

He added, foreign travelers (PPLN) who want to enter Indonesia must have been vaccinated at least the second dose.

"Efforts to screen for symptoms are carried out for all foreign travelers at all entry points," he said, according to Antara.

On that occasion, Wiku also conveyed the provisions for domestic travelers listed in the SE Task Force Number 21 of 2022.

He revealed, travelers using all modes of transportation that have been boosted do not need an antigen test or RT-PCR.

For those who have just received the second dose of vaccine, he said they must show a negative antigen result which is valid for 1x24 hours or RT-PCR which is valid for 3x24 hours and can do a booster on the spot upon departure.

Then, for residents who have just received the first dose of vaccine, they must show a negative RT-PCR result which is valid for 3x24 hours.

"For those who have not or cannot be vaccinated due to special health conditions, they must show a negative RT-PCR result which is valid for 3x24 hours, plus a doctor's certificate from a government hospital," he explained.

Meanwhile, travelers aged 6-17 years are required to show a second dose of vaccine certificate without showing a negative result of the RT-PCR test or rapid antigen test.

"If it's just the first vaccine or the complete vaccine has not followed the provisions of the point not yet vaccinated," said Wiku.

Meanwhile, for travelers under the age of six, Wiku said, there is no need to show a vaccine certificate or negative RT-PCR or antigen results, but must be accompanied by a companion who meets the provisions for vaccination and COVID-19 examination.

He stressed that the two regulations will be enforced starting July 17, 2022. "The time span given since the announcement of the travel policy adjustment is so that the transition process and preparations, especially for officers and facilities in the field, can run well," he said.

Don't forget to follow the editorial findings which reported that a number of residents in West Java suddenly received a booster vaccine certificate even though they had never been injected. You can follow it in this link.