Indonesia, as this year’s host of the Group of 20 economic forum, will introduce a bubble system for the forum’s summit later this year as a precaution against COVID-19, as the government rides out a third wave of infections driven by the highly contagious Omicron strain.

Leaders of G20 member states are expected to convene in person in Bali in October for the group’s 17th summit at a time of great sensitivity, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing sanctions threaten to dampen the global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the government has yet to convene an emergency G20 meeting on the war in Ukraine, it is setting up a health protocol bubble system for in-person meetings, according to a circular issued by the national COVID-19 task force earlier this week.

Under this system, summit organizers will establish four separate “bubbles” – areas of restricted access and engagement – within which participants are expected to have most of their interactions, in addition to limited and controlled contact with participants in other bubbles.

The first bubble is for G20 country delegates, including their main entourages and important summit participants. The second bubble is for regular G20 participants and journalists, a third bubble is for G20 event organizers and field officers and a fourth bubble is for operational and supporting staff.

The G20 bubble system includes hotel accommodations, meeting venues and supporting facilities to be used during the summit, according to the circular.

The Communications and Information Ministry’s director general for information and public communication, Usman Kansong, said the government was confident that the bubble system would be effective, after the success of the G20 sherpa meeting in December and the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ meeting last month. Both meetings employed bubble systems.

For the December meeting, Usman noted, some 644 antigen and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were taken upon arrival and prior to the departure of delegates. He claimed all of the tests came back negative.

“We have had experience in implementing the travel bubble, and we have succeeded in doing so,” Usman said on Wednesday.

Read also: Indonesia establishes key elements of its G20 presidency in preparation for main events

Previously, the Health Ministry’s spokesperson for the national COVID-19 vaccination program, Siti Nadia Tarmidzi, said that all G20 participants would have to adhere to strict health protocols during their activities at the summit, just like at any other meeting held during the pandemic.

All participants will have to show proof of having received two COVID-19 vaccine doses at least 14 days prior to their arrival. Any certificate issued to this end must be written in English and the official language of the country of origin, in addition to being verified by the Health Ministry’s electronic health card (eHAC) system for international travel.

All attendants must also provide negative PCR test results taken a maximum of three days before their departure, in addition to documentation confirming G20 attendance.

At the conference itself, G20 participants will undergo temperature screenings and will be required to take another PCR test at the venue’s entrance.

All summit participants will also be expected to undergo regular COVID-19 screening throughout their stay.

“G20 participants will have to monitor their health every day to watch out for any COVID-19 symptoms,” Nadia said in a statement. She added that participants could reach out to health officers at the summit to report suspected cases.

All foreign nationals in attendance must, in addition to their visa requirements, have health insurance coverage of US$25,000 at least.

Those who test positive with mild or no symptoms are to be treated at a quarantine facility away from the G20 bubble sites, while people with moderate to heavy symptoms will be taken to a hospital. Only treatment for Indonesian nationals will be provided for free by the state.

In addition to the bubble system, Usman said the government would ensure that the populations around each venue would be 70 percent vaccinated, while all hotel and venue staffers would be fully vaccinated.

As of Tuesday, nine cities and regencies of Bali were under level 3 public activity restrictions (PPKM), although officials are expecting the third wave of COVID-19 transmission to subside in the coming weeks.

Source:
courtesy of THE JAKARTA POST

by A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil (The Jakarta Post)

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