Indonesia Tightens Air Travel Curbs to Brace for Holiday Season

(Bloomberg) -- Indonesia is tightening air travel measures to ensure an anticipated jump in the number of passengers ahead of year-end holidays won’t lead to a resurgence in coronavirus infections.

Airlines must allocate dedicated seats for any passengers who show symptoms during the flight, even when they have tested negative for the virus before departure, according to Covid-19 taskforce spokesman Wiku Adisasmito. 

Only vaccinated people who can produce a negative PCR test result are allowed to fly, particularly in Java and Bali areas, he said in a briefing Thursday. Previously, those who are fully inoculated only need a negative rapid antigen test in lieu of a PCR one.

Indonesia Expects to Enter Endemic Phase for Covid-19 in January

Indonesia has started reopening its international borders as cases and deaths from Covid-19 fell to their lowest since the middle of last year. The country has loosened much of its pandemic restrictions to revive the economy.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.