Indonesia to Ban British Nationals During Year-End Holidays

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia has barred British citizens and other foreign travelers coming from the UK from entering Indonesia during Christmas and New Year’s holidays, following the recent discovery of a new Covid-19 strain in the country known as SARS-CoV-2.

The government announced the move, as an addendum to a circular letter on health protocols for travelers during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday by Indonesia’s Covid-19 Task Force.

“[British] or other foreign nationals [from Great Britain] cannot enter Indonesia, whether they come directly [from Great Britain] or transit in a third country,” said the circular.

On the other hand, “Indonesian citizens arriving directly from Great Britain to Indonesia or transiting in a third country are permitted to enter Indonesia, if they can show a negative result in an RT-PCR test in their country of origin [Great Britain] taken 48 hours before their departure.”

The task force added that they will need to bring the test during a health check carried out by the e-HAC International Indonesia.”

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Indonesian citizens coming from Europe and Australia are expected to meet the same requirement, as does foreign nationals coming to Indonesia from both regions. Even if the travelers still tested negative on arrival in Indonesia, the process does not end there.

“[Indonesian citizens] are required to go into quarantine for five days from the date of their arrival in accommodations designated by the government, while foreign nationals can quarantine in hotels designated [by the Indonesian government] at their own expense for the same time duration.”

The document also noted that “[Ambassadors of foreign countries] who work in Indonesia and their families can go into self-quarantine in their residences for five days, while other diplomatic personnel are required to do the same in accommodations designated by the government.”

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Covid-19 Task Force head Doni Monardo signed the circular into effect on Tuesday, December 22. The document will take effect until January 8, and is subject to change until further notice.

Prior to Indonesia, France, Germany, Turkey and other countries shut down travel to and from UK after the discovery of the new Covid-19 strain there. British officials said the strain is more transmissible, though not more lethal, than the current Covid-19 strain.

(Writer: Tsarina Maharani | Editor: Bayu Galih, Icha Rastika)

Sources: 

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/12/23/17494801/satgas-covid-19-larang-wna-dari-inggris-masuk-indonesia-saat-libur-akhir?page=all#page2. 

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/12/23/19025791/satgas-covid-19-atur-perjalanan-wni-dari-inggris-tes-pcr-harus-negatif-untuk.