Indonesia bans entry of foreigners

JAKARTA: Indonesia decided yesterday to ban foreigners from entering into and transiting through the country to stem the spread of the new coronavirus, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said.

President Joko Widodo has decided that the current, existing policy to ban the entry of foreigners from only certain countries “needs to be strengthened”, the minister told reporters after the president held a videoconference with a limited number of cabinet officials.

The minister said exceptions will be made to those holding limited or permanent residency, and diplomats and other officials with valid permits, even though they will still be subject to health screening protocols.

No specific date was given for the envisioned entry ban. The government intends to issue a ministerial regulation on it soon.

Indonesia has been struggling to contain the spread of the respiratory disease known as Covid-19, with 1,414 people having tested positive for the virus as of Monday, with 122 fatalities.

The government has called on Indonesians to stay, work, pray and study at home.

Authorities in the capital Jakarta have reduced public transportation services and police are clamping down on gatherings, including wedding receptions.

Meanwhile, rumours about a possible lockdown in Jakarta have caused Indonesians to speed up their annual exodus from Jakarta for Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month that comes in May.

Thousands of Indonesians have already been making their way back to their hometowns by train, bus and other modes of transportation.

Mr Widodo said on Monday that about 14,000 Indonesians had left the capital in over 800 buses over a period of less than 10 days.

Noting that the number does not include those who left via other modes of mass transportation, the president called for tougher social restrictions to stem the spread of the virus.