TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has readied 4,233 hotel rooms to accommodate asymptomatic COVID-19 patients and healthcare workers, under a Hospitality Industry Reactivation Program .

"This preparation is important, especially in implementing health protocols. The hotels being used for isolation of asymptomatic patients should not become new cluster. Hence we will be able to embark on new normal era better," Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy / Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency Wishnutama Kusubandio said in a statement here on Sunday.

The Tourism Ministry and the Health Ministry are currently working together in preparing the hotel rooms.

The 4,233 hotel rooms proposed by the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) belong hotels located in Jakarta, Bali and South Kalimantan.

The Health Ministry has verified 2,015 hotel rooms in Jakarta.

"Outside Jakarta, we have also prepared 500 rooms in Bali and 435 rooms in South Kalimantan for the isolation of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients and those with mild symptoms as well as for accommodation of health workers," the ministry said.

The Tourism and Creative Economic Ministry has also prepared additional nine hotels in Jakarta and ten in Bali in case more hotel rooms are needed.

Wishnutama Kusubandio said that it is up to the Health Ministry to decide when the available hotel rooms will be used to accommodate asymptomatic patients, healthcare workers and security personnel involved in the COVID-19 response.

"I appreciate the readiness and support of the hospitality industry in this program. In accordance with President Joko Widodo's direction, the government continues to add isolation areas for COVID-19 patients without symptoms and mild symptoms in order to control the COVID-19 spread," he said.

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