VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian Ministry of Health reported that until Sunday, January 9, 2022, the number of infection cases with the Omicron Covid-19 variant in Indonesia had increased to 414 people. There are additional cases of 75 people. Of these, 31 people have cases of local transmission. The rest are from  travelers from  foreign countries.

These data indicate that Omicron transmission in Indonesia is still increasing. In total, 99% of Omicron cases have mild or no symptoms. They are mostly travelers who came from Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Spokesperson for Vaccination of the Ministry of Health, dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi in her statement said that several areas that experienced an increase in cases were Jakarta, West Java and North Sulawesi. As of January 5, Indonesia was in the third position of the highest Omicron cases in Southeast Asia after Singapore and Thailand. Singapore still occupies the top position with 2,251 cases detected, while Thailand has 2062 cases.

These facts are certainly quite worrying. Amid the government's incessant call for Indonesian citizens not to travel abroad, there are still those who go abroad, giving rise to new cases in Indonesia.

The government has also adjusted the rules for foreign travelers who will enter Indonesia. Recently, the Government has issued a Circular regarding Health Protocols for Overseas Travel, Entry Points, Quarantine Places and Obligation for Health Tests, such as RT-PCR for Indonesian Citizens Traveling Overseas.

Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Prof. Wiku Adisasmito through the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel said that one of the things that is continuously monitored and evaluated is regulations for foreign travelers. Naturally, travel between countries opens up opportunities for case imports, especially if they are not controlled properly.

It is a challenge for the government and the people of Indonesia to control Covid 19, which is currently tending to rise, after sloping down over the last few months. Thereby, the best way is to continue to implement health protocols as an easy, inexpensive and effective pandemic control strategy in preventing transmission. In addition to being asked to obey wearing masks, washing hands and maintaining distance, the public are also asked to play an active role in preventing the entry of more Omicron variants. The trick is not to travel abroad unless it is very urgent. For the people who return to Indonesia, they should strictly adhere to the rules, including the applicable quarantine policy.