The Immigration Office at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang today announced that it rejected entry to 17 foreigners last month to comply with the government’s travel restriction imposed amid the coronavirus scare.
“The 17 foreigners were denied entry because they had stayed or visited a country [included in the travel restriction] within 14 days before arriving in Indonesia,” Soekarno-Hatta Immigration Office Head Saffar Muhammad Godam told Kompas today.
Saffar said the 17 foreigners were denied entry between Feb. 5 to 28.
“They were from various countries but most of them were from China,” he said, adding that there were no clear indications that the 17 were infected with the deadly coronavirus then.
In early February, Indonesia suspended flights going to and coming from China, as well as visa-free and visa-on-arrival provisions for Chinese nationals. The restrictions on visa provisions are also applicable to travelers of other nationalities who have traveled to China within 14 days before arriving in Indonesia.
The number of foreigners denied entry at Soekarno-Hatta pales in comparison to that of Bali. Based on data from the Immigration Directorate General collected between Feb. 5 to 23, a total of 118 foreign travelers were denied entry into Indonesia during that time, with Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport accounting for 89 rejections.
The coronavirus outbreak has been particularly tough on Bali, as the island is a hugely popular holiday destination for Chinese tourists.
