TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said Monday the government will soon evaluate the list of 19 countries with travel corridors to Indonesia following the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant, the Omicron variant.

“The list of 19 countries that were permitted to enter Indonesia will soon be evaluated as there are countries that saw spikes in COVID-19 cases, after and before the Omicron,” said Sandiaga in a virtual media gathering on November 29.

Nineteen countries that have travel corridors with Indonesia since October 14, 2021, include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Dina, India, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, and Norway

He added that the government is cautiously handling the current situation as the new COVID-19 variant that was first detected in South Africa has now spread to other countries: Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini, Malawi, Angola, Zambia, and Hong Kong.

“Even though it is not a derivative of the Delta variant, this needs to be addressed as its spread is predicted to be rapid and there is so much information that is unable to be presented,” Sandiaga Uno said.

Read: Sandiaga: Omicron Will Affect Tourism

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA