Indonesia braces for arrival of Omicron
Authorities tighten travel curbs as it prepares for new strain of virus
Authorities in Indonesia have tightened border curbs, extended quarantine and limited movement on strategic toll roads, in a pre-emptive move to limit the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant should it reach South-east Asia's largest country.
Scientists suggest Omicron, detected so far in two dozen countries, may be more transmissible than earlier variants, threatening a global economic recovery.
More than 50 countries have imposed new travel measures in recent days, according to the World Health Organization.
Indonesia, once Asia's coronavirus epicentre, has yet to announce the detection of Omicron, but is stepping up measures to minimise the potential impact, including extending the mandatory quarantine for arrival from seven days to 10.
"This policy... will be evaluated every now and then as we understand and continue digging more information about this new variant," senior minister Luhut Pandjaitan said in a statement on Wednesday.
Travel to Indonesia from 11 countries, including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Nigeria, will not be allowed, except for returning Indonesians, who will be subjected to 14 days of isolation.
New domestic travel measures include limiting the volume of traffic on toll roads to reduce people movement, according to the transport minister.
Official data in Indonesia shows a sharp reduction in new daily infections, with a daily average of about 400 last month compared to about 40,000 in July.
Japan eases blanket ban
Japan has softened its suspension of all new incoming flight bookings to make it easier for citizens to return, the government said yesterday, a day after it announced the move prompted by worries about the Omicron coronavirus variant.
The transport ministry abruptly said on Wednesday it was asking airlines to stop taking all new incoming flight reservations for a month, in a surprise move affecting citizens and foreign residents.
But yesterday, government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said it would be amended.
"This request caused confusion among those affected and so the prime minister instructed the transport ministry to examine the issue and consider the needs of Japanese citizens hoping to return home," he told reporters.
As a result, the ministry "asked airlines to cancel the blanket suspension of new reservations for international flights to accommodate Japanese hoping to return home", he added.
Japan has had tight border restrictions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, barring almost all foreign arrivals.
It had begun to ease those rules slightly last month to allow some students and business travellers entry, but reversed that decision after the emergence of the Omicron variant.
It has also barred all non-citizens from entering the country if they are coming from 10 southern African countries.
All arrivals in Japan must quarantine for 14 days at home, with people coming from dozens of locations required to spend between three and 10 days of that two-week period in designated facilities.
After a summer surge in cases, Japan is registering only double-digit infections nationwide most days, and has logged around 18,360 deaths during the pandemic.
South Korea's daily coronavirus case numbers rose to a new high yesterday, as authorities halted quarantine exemptions for fully vaccinated inbound travellers for two weeks in a bid to fend off the Omicron variant.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 5,266 cases for Wednesday, a day after the daily tally rose above 5,000 for the first time amid concerns over a sharp rise in patients with severe symptoms.
South Korea will require a 10day quarantine for all inbound travellers for two weeks starting today, halting exemptions given earlier to fully vaccinated people, the KDCA said. REUTERS/