After repatriating 238 citizens from Wuhan and other cities in China, the Indonesian government declared on Sunday that it would ban all travel to and from China to prevent the spread of a deadly and highly contagious novel coronavirus.
The ban, which took effect at 12 a.m. on Monday, prevents visitors who have stayed in China for 14 days or more from visiting or transiting in Indonesia. The government will suspend visa-free and visa on arrival provisions for Chinese citizens.
“The government asks Indonesians not to take trips to mainland China for now,” said Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, after a Cabinet meeting held by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta on Sunday afternoon.
Indonesia has followed the United States, the Philippines and Singapore in imposing travel restrictions to and from China amid rapid contagion of the virus worldwide.
AFP reported that, as of Sunday, the coronavirus had killed 304 in China and had infected nearly 14,500 globally, surpassing infections caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the result of another strain of coronavirus originated in China, in 2003.
Often called the first pandemic of the 21st century, the SARS outbreak resulted in 8,100 cases worldwide and killed at least 775 people.
While the Philippines reported the first death outside of China due to the recent coronavirus on Sunday, Indonesia has not yet confirmed any cases.
Indonesia’s travel ban was announced hours after 238 Indonesian nationals evacuated from Wuhan and other cities in Hubei province landed on Natuna Island and were placed in quarantine at Raden Sadjad airbase.
“They will undergo observation [in quarantine] for 14 days. This observation period will also be implemented on the 42 airlifting personnel from Wuhan, so 285 people will undergo this observation. They are still healthy so far,” Retno said.