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THE COVID-19 Handling Task Force has issued new domestic travel regulations to support the adjustment of government policies regarding the pandemic-to-endemic transition in Indonesia over the next six months.
The information was conveyed by the head of the health support sub-division of the task force, Alexander K. Ginting, recently. The latest domestic travel provisions are regulated by Circular Number 18 of 2022, which became effective on May 18, 2022.
Under the new rules, travelers will still need to wear a three-layer cloth mask or a medical mask that covers their nose, mouth, and chin while they are in a room or in a crowded area. They will need to maintain a minimum physical distance of one and a half meters and avoid crowds.
The new rules also prohibit travelers from chatting directly or through any telecommunications device while using public transportation.
Domestic travelers who have received the second and third COVID-19 shots and have a vaccination certificate as proof will not need to carry a negative RT-PCR or rapid antigen test.
Meanwhile, travelers who have only received the first dose will need to submit a negative result for an RT-PCR or rapid antigen test.
However, people who have specific health conditions or comorbid diseases that prevent them from getting vaccinated will be excluded from the vaccination requirement.
However, they will still need to carry a negative result of a rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours or an RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure, as well as a medical letter issued by a state hospital confirming that they have not or cannot be vaccinated.
Domestic travelers under the age of 6 have also been excluded from the vaccination requirement and will not need to show a negative test result.
However, they will need to follow strict health protocols and be accompanied by a travel companion who has fulfilled the vaccination and COVID-19 test requirements.
In addition, people who conduct routine trips within one urban area, as well as passengers using pioneering transportation in the outermost, underdeveloped, and frontier (3T) areas, will not need to meet the domestic travel requirements.
“The public still has to be vigilant because the pandemic status has not been revoked. The health protocols still have to be implemented according to the circular,” Ginting added. [antaranews/photo special]
