Indonesia lifts entry ban for visitors from 14 countries

The Indonesian Government has lifted the entry ban on visitors with travel histories from 14 countries in the last two weeks to restore the country's economy.

In Jakarta, Indonesia (Photo: Xinhua)
In Jakarta, Indonesia (Photo: Xinhua)

In a statement on January 14, spokesman of the Indonesian Government’s COVID-19 Task Force Wiku Adisasmito said the ban was lifted as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has spread to about 150 countries. If the ban remains, it will make cross-border movements difficult.

All international visitors are now required to self-isolate for seven days upon arrival regardless of their country of origin.

The Philippine Government has also decided to shorten quarantine time for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms to seven days from 10 days.

The Manila authorities also allowed the suspension of online learning within a week till January 22 amid a spike in infections related to Omicron variant.

At present, about half of the Philippine population are fully vaccinated.