Indonesia to keep loose entry rules for Chinese visitors

INDONESIA has no plans to tighten restrictions for travellers from China, keeping its looser Covid-19 policy for international visitors despite a recent surge in cases.

Under current rules, travellers arriving from overseas are only required to show proof of complete vaccination against the coronavirus. It scrapped the PCR test requirement for fully-vaccinated visitors in May unless they have a fever.

“There is no immediate need to change the existing policy but we will continue to monitor the situation,” Covid-19 Task Force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito said in a phone interview in Jakarta.

South-east Asia’s biggest economy is keeping the policy as the nation prepares to lift its remaining pandemic restrictions to sustain growth. It comes as a number of countries including US, Italy, Japan and Taiwan are tightening measures for travellers from China that’s reopening its borders even as cases jumped.

The policy would benefit Bali, as the resort island depends much on tourism to keep its economy going. BLOOMBERG