Omicron: Indonesia to ban international arrivals from 14 countries starting Friday

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport’s Terminal 3 arrival section in November 2019. Photo: Nadia Vetta Hamid for Coconuts Media
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport’s Terminal 3 arrival section in November 2019. Photo: Nadia Vetta Hamid for Coconuts Media

Another day, another set of travel rules in Indonesia, as the country announces that it’s closing its borders to foreign arrivals from 14 countries with high Omicron risk starting tomorrow. 

The temporary ban is stipulated in a fresh circular issued by Indonesia’s COVID-19 Task Force, which will take effect on Friday.

“[Indonesia is] temporarily suspending the entry of foreign citizens, either directly or via transit, who have stayed and/or visited [the 14 countries] within a period of 14 days,” the circular reads.

The ban applies to arrivals from countries or territories with the following criteria:

  • Countries that have confirmed community transmission of the Omicron variant: South Africa, Botswana, Norway, and France;
  • Countries or territories that are geographically close to countries with community transmission of the Omicron variant: Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, and Lesotho; 
  • Countries or territories with over 10,000 confirmed Omicron cases: United Kingdom and Denmark.

Previously this week, the central government mandated that travelers coming from countries with high Omicron risk would only have to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival, replacing another fresh rule by the COVID-19 Task Force mandating 14 days of quarantine for this group.

Also Read Mandatory quarantine now 10 days tops as Indonesia flip-flops

Indonesians who are returning from the 14 above countries, however, may enter the country but would have to quarantine for 10 days, the circular says.

Travelers, both Indonesian and foreign, coming from everywhere else are required to quarantine for seven days.



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