Indonesia will tighten social restrictions in the capital Jakarta and the holiday island of Bali as coronavirus cases rise sharply, a senior minister said on Monday.

Under new regulations, supermarkets, malls and restaurants will operate at 60 percent capacity and houses of worship will be reduced to 50 percent of capacity, said Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan. It was not immediately clear when the measures would take effect.

The government has also walked back on its decision to temporarily ban foreign tourists entering the country through Jakarta's airport, in a bid to slow a spike in coronavirus infections driven by the Omicron variant.

Transportation Ministry said that international travelers could still arrive at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Bali, Batam and Tanjung Pinang in Riau Province.

Indonesian officials have warned that the surge in cases driven by the Omicron variant may not peak until late February.

Despite these concerns, the resort island of Bali welcomed a flight from Tokyo last Thursday carrying six foreigners, mostly travel agents who were on board to monitor the island's readiness to receive foreign tourists.

Source:
courtesy of THE JAKARTA POST

by Agencies

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