Key Points
- The Indonesian president announced the removal of the requirement for vaccinated travelers to provide a Covid-19 test.
- Indonesia eases COVID-19 regulations for travelers and new visitors from overseas.
- The welcoming country expects a spike in tourism and economy this year.
The president of Indonesia Joko Widodo announced Tuesday (May 17) that fully vaccinated inbound travelers will not require a COVID-19 test to enter the country. Prior to this announcement, travelers from overseas presented a negative COVID-19 test upon entering the country.
Domestic travelers got the concession of traveling around the country without a test requirement in March 2022. However, the policies for the travelers from overseas remained the same. Hence, they required a pre-departure COVID-19 test with negative results. “Domestic and international travelers who are fully vaccinated no longer need to take PCR or antigen swab tests,” said the president.
“The instructions will be elaborated in a number of regulations and will be effective on May 18,” announced Wiku Adisasmito, spokesman for Indonesia’s COVID-19 task force. The authorities also implore the people to continue remaining alert and receptive to possible changes.
Over 6 million people in Indonesia became victims of COVID-19, since its propagation. Currently, 156,000 patients have succumbed to the disease. According to reports, 166 million out of Indonesia’s 270 million population received full vaccinations. Hence, Indonesia is currently reporting as few as 200 to 400 daily cases of COVID-19.
According to statista, only 1.56 million international visitors arrived in Indonesia in 2021. This number pales in comparison to the visits of previous years. Covid-19 related travel restrictions lead to this tremor in the Indonesian economy. However, with the lifting of the Covid-19 travel curbs, Indonesia expects a spike in its tourism industry and economy.
Reference,
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia
