Indonesia will ask visitors to show proof of a third Covid-19 vaccine shot to access the country including Bali over the next two weeks. The news was announced by the Java-Bali Covid-19 Restrictions Coordinator Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
The central government has said that regulations will be changed in response to the increasing number of cases in Bali and Java, as well as around the world.
Booster vaccination rules will also be extended to Indonesian nationals, who will soon be required to show proof of their booster vaccination to enter public areas such as shopping malls, events and stadiums. The announcement came amid recent reports of President Joko Widodo’s limited cabinet meeting.
In a press conference Monday, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the government wants to urge people to get vaccinated. In the past, restricting access to public places to people who are fully vaccinated has helped inoculation, he added.
Although the government has not given a timeline for implementing the new mandate, this information is not speculative, said The Bali Sun.
“The government will also re-implement the requirement for booster vaccination as a condition for travel by air, land, and sea, which will be carried out in a maximum of two weeks…To encourage booster vaccination, and support travel requirements and entry to public places, [venues] such as malls and offices will be changed to booster vaccinations [centers]”. Pandjaitan told reporters.
The PeduliLindung track and trace app should be used more frequently throughout Indonesia, President Widodo said. He pointed out that the requirement to scan a QR code before entering a public venue has become less stringent in some places.
The app must be used to check-in at all retail stores, cafes, restaurants, schools, workplaces, and event venues.