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Passengers at Sydney Airport on Apr 19, 2021. (Photo: AP/Rick Rycroft) - 

New Zealand on Friday (Apr 23) paused its newly opened travel bubble with Australia, the government in Wellington said, after a COVID-19 outbreak in its larger neighbour.

"As set out in our Trans-Tasman bubble protocols, travel between New Zealand and Western Australia has been paused, pending further advice from the state government," a statement on the New Zealand government website said.

The decision came after Western Australia announced that the regions of Perth and Peel were entering a three-day lockdown, starting midnight Friday to Saturday, due to a traveller testing positive for the coronavirus.

The decision to lock down followed "a positive COVID-19 case from hotel quarantine who was active in the community", a statement on the Western Australia government website said.

Local media reported that a man in his 50s flew into Melbourne from Perth on Wednesday and tested positive for the coronavirus earlier Friday.

He underwent the legally required quarantine in a Perth hotel and, once released, went to restaurants, a university, a public pool, a doctor's office and a friend's house before leaving the area.

"He spent up to five days in Perth, and we now need to assume he was infectious," Western Australia premier Mark McGowan told a press conference.

Local media reported that the friend the man visited has since tested positive.

New Zealand and Australia had opened their quarantine-free travel bubble on Apr 18, almost 400 days after they closed their borders due to the pandemic.

The bubble, which followed months of negotiations between the largely coronavirus-free neighbours, was hailed as a major milestone in restarting a global travel industry that has been crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It meant that passengers from Australia and New Zealand - both of which have largely contained COVID-19 - could fly across the Tasman Sea without undergoing mandatory quarantine on arrival.

The leaders of both nations had hailed the bubble, which also would have provided a much-needed boost to New Zealand's beleaguered tourism industry, and urged residents to take advantage of it.

Before COVID-19 brought New Zealand's tourism industry to its knees, it was the country's biggest export industry, with Australians accounting for about 40 per cent of the international visitors.

After the travel bubble was announced, a spokesman for Australian flag carrier Qantas said tickets to New Zealand were "selling like hot cakes" with a strong "load" to Queenstown, which is billed as the country's "Adventure capital".

New Zealand authorities revealed on Apr 20 that an Auckland airport worker had tested positive for COVID-19, but Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at the time it would not affect the bubble, which was then barely 24 hours old.

Ardern said the cleaner worked on planes arriving from "red zone" countries deemed high risk, not Australia.

She said both Australia and New Zealand expected to handle border cases, and had systems in place to do that without closing the long-awaited travel bubble//CNA

Chief of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Inspector General Fadli Imran addresses the press after checking security around the ASEAN Secretary General on Friday (April 23). (ANTARA/Dewa Wiguna)

Chief of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Inspector General Fadli Imran confirmed the deployment of 4,382 police personnel to offer security during the ASEAN Summit scheduled to commence in Jakarta on Saturday (April 24).

"In total, 4,382 police personnel will be involved to provide security at 51 locations in the capital," Imran remarked while checking preparations of the security post near the ASEAN Secretariat in South Jakarta on Friday.

The security arrangements encompass traffic routes, hotels and accommodations, and the airport when the ASEAN leaders arrive.

The police will also intensify security, especially in the third ring, which becomes the main zone of the police's security.

The Presidential Security Details (Paspampres), including those of the Jakarta Regional Military Command (Kodam Jaya), are tasked with offering security in the first and second zones.

The ASEAN Summit will discuss several issues, including the political crisis in Myanmar.

A total of ASEAN leaders, including Myanmar junta Min Aung Hlaing, will be present at the summit.Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) recently highlighted his plans to broach the possibility of holding an ASEAN Summit to discuss the Myanmar issue with the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, who is this year’s ASEAN chair.

Furthermore, the head of state stressed that dialogue for reconciliation be held at the earliest to restore democracy, peace, and stability in the country.

"Safety and welfare of the people must be the top priority," the president noted on Friday, March 19, 2021//ANT

Government spokesman for COVID-19 handling Prof Wiku Adisasmito (right) and Secretary General of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) Amirsyah Tambunan (left) during a press conference at the BNPB building on Friday (23/4/2021) (ANTARA/Prisca Triferna)

Government spokesman for COVID-19 handling Prof. Wiku Adisasmito urged the people to comply with the ban on the Eid al-Fitr homecoming exodus to avoid a spike in COVID-19 cases following the long holidays.

"As I have repeatedly stated that the long holidays have led to an increase in (COVID-19) cases since last year," Adisasmito stated during a press conference at the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Building in Jakarta on Friday.

To this end, the government bans homecoming activities between May 6 and May 17, 2021, and restricts domestic mobility of people two weeks prior to and after the homecoming ban period, he explained.

"The government is focused on ensuring that the Ramadhan and Eid al-Fitr celebrations do not trigger a spike in COVID-19 cases thereafter," he emphasized.During the press conference, Secretary General of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) Amirsyah Tambunan noted that the council, along with other mass organizations, will continue to encourage literacy, dissemination of information, and education on the significance of following health protocols.

"By prioritizing health protocols, we will feel comfortable and secure and will have contributed to the public to prevent the transmission of COVID-19," he affirmed.

Tambunan highlighted that following health protocols was crucial and part of religious service.

Field epidemiologist at Jenderal Soedirman University Purwokerto, Dr Yudhi Wibowo, supports the ban on homecoming activities to celebrate Eid al-Fitr 2021, calling it a strategic policy to thwart an increase in COVID-19 cases.

"The policy of prohibiting homecoming activities is very strategic to reduce population mobility. The aim is very good, solely to prevent a spike in cases and deaths due to COVID-19," he remarked here on Friday.Wibowo reminded that despite a ban on homecoming activities, Ramadhan worship can still be performed properly.

"Eid al-Fitr can still be celebrated with virtual meetings, especially for today, with many technologies that make it easier for people to stay in touch with each other virtually," he remarked.

Hence, the momentum of Eid al-Fitr can still be celebrated by meeting virtually to apologize to one another//ANT

Chief of the TNI Information Center Major General Achmad Raid (right) held a press conference on the missing submarine Nanggala-402 at the Base Ops of the Ngurah Raid Airbase in Badung, Bali, on Thursday.   (22/4/2021). ANTARA FOTO/Fikri Yusuf/wsj. 

National Defense Forces (TNI) Chief Hadi Tjahjanto joined his ranks aboard warship KRI Suharso to search for submarine I KRI Nanggala-402, untraceable since Wednesday in the waters north of Bali Island, a spokesman stated.

"military chief will go there this afternoon to monitor and follow the search process," Chief of the TNI Information Center Major General Achmad Raid stated during a press conference at the Base Ops of the Ngurah Raid Airbase in Badung, Bali, on Friday.

Raid remarked that Naval Chief of Staff Admiral Yudo Margono will also partake in the search operation aboard warship KRI Suharso.

On Thursday, the TNI chief aboard KRI Suharso led the search for the submarine.  

In the video recording broadcast by the TNI Information Center, Tjahjanto pledged to continue to join the search for KRI Nanggala-402 that had gone missing along with 53 crew members.

"We will continue to join the search and rescue operation and exert all my strength to bring home our brothers, the crew of KRI Nanggala-402, to be reunited with their families," he stated.

"Let us always pray for the safety and immediate rescue of our families, the soldiers of KRI Nanggala-402," he remarked.The search for KRI Nanggala-402 in the waters north of Bali Island was conducted a few hours after the submarine reportedly lost contact at around 3 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

The TNI has, so far, deployed 21 warships, most of which are equipped with sonar detectors to join the search operation. In addition, two police ships and a remote operation vehicle of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) also joined the search operation.

The TNI has also received an offer from Singapore and Malaysia to help in the search for the missing navy submarine.

"There are offers from some countries, such as Singapore, with its Swift Rescue vessel, and also some rescue ships to find submarines in trouble under water," Riad stated on Thursday.

Singapore's rescue vessel will arrive on April 24, while Malaysia's submarine rescue ship Mega Bhakti will arrive on April 26.Some other countries, including the United States, Germany, France, Turkey, India, Russia, and Australia, have also extended help to find the submarine.

The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) will also join the search and rescue operation.

"They will conduct search in a joint team with the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) and Basarnas using Basarnas' ship," he remarked.

The German-built KRI Nanggala 402 was scheduled to conduct live torpedo exercises when it sought permission to dive. It began to dive at 3:45 a.m. local time, and the last contact was established at 4:25 a.m. local time when the commander of the exercise was ready to give authorization to launch the torpedo.

Some 53 crew members were aboard the vessel believed to be in waters about 700 meters deep//ANT