TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan barred state officials from traveling abroad to prevent transmission of the COVID-19 Omicron variant currently spreading in a number of countries.

“State officials are prohibited from traveling abroad,” said Luhut in a written statement in Jakarta, Wednesday, December 1. The ban applies to all levels of office, except for those carrying out important state duties.

Luhut also appealed to the public not to travel abroad amid the current situation. “Indonesian citizens are advised not to travel abroad to prevent and keep the pandemic under control in this country,” he underlined.

According to him, the government is preparing a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine or vaccine booster for the elderly and vulnerable groups. “The booster will be scheduled soon and will start in January next year,” he added.

President Jokowi earlier instructed the increase in the quarantine period for foreign nationals and Indonesian citizens traveling from abroad outside the banned 11 countries to 10 days from previously 7 days following the rising number of countries detecting the Omicron variant.

The extension of the quarantine period would take effect starting December 3, 2021. “The policies will continue to be evaluated periodically as we study and explore information about this new variant,” said Luhut.

Read: Govt Mulling Vaccine Boosters over Omicron Concerns: Task Force

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