To prevent the incursion of the Omicron Variant of COVID-19 (B.1.1.529), the Government of Indonesia has imposed an outright ban on citizens and foreigners who have visited a specific 11 countries/regions in the past 14 days and lengthened the quarantine time for all others arriving internationally. The 11 countries/regions affected by the ban are South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini, Malawi, Angola, Zambia, and Hongkong.
In what is sure to be seen as a significant setback to efforts to revive international tourism to Indonesia, COVID Czar Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan announced the reimposition of a 7-day quarantine period for all Indonesian citizens and foreigners entering the Country from counties outside the list of 11 banned entry.
Any Indonesian national who in the past 14 days has visited South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini, Malawi, Angola, Zambia, or Hongkong will be compelled to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon returning to the Republic. The citizens or residents of the countries mentioned above are banned from entering Indonesia until further notice.
The ban and extended quarantine rules took effect on 29 November 2021.
The Government will continually review the developing global situation on COVID-19. It will, at its discretion, modify the list of citizens from countries banned entry to Indonesia and the specified length of quarantine periods.
The Indonesian Ministry of Health is implementing a program of genomic sequencing for new cases of COVID-19 to detect the presence of the Omicron Variant. The Ministry is also sparing no effort in joining the international effort to acquire a complete understanding of the threat posed by the Omicron Variant and devise a proper vaccination and remedial response to the virus.
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