DDHK.ORG - In the midst of the threat of COVID-19, the Omicron variant, the Indonesian government plans to reopen Juanda Airport in Surabaya, East Java, for international travel arrivals. So far, there are only 3 airports that have opened international arrivals, namely Soekarno Hatta in Banten, Raja Haji Fisabilillah in the Riau Islands, and Sam Ratulangi in North Sulawesi.
"Juanda Airport in Surabaya will soon be opened as an additional entry point for international travel to Indonesia," said the spokesman for the Covid-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, in a press conference broadcast through the BNPB Indonesia YouTube channel, on Tuesday, December 21, 2021.
Along with the plan to open Juanda Airport for international arrivals, the government is currently evaluating the pattern of checking passengers who have just arrived from abroad.
The government will also maximize the use of Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests for S Gene Target Failure (SGTF) tests, and will aggressively check with Whole Genome Sequences (WGS) to detect Omicron variants in Indonesia.
"However, the government asks the public to postpone traveling abroad, because it can worsen national cases and import cases can occur," said Wiku.
Wiku also reported a significant increase in the number of passengers throughout December. The busiest airport is Soekarno-Hatta, with arrivals reaching 4 people in December. In fact, last October only 1-2 thousand people. [Source: CNN Indonesia] [DHKNews]
