The government’s policy shortening the quarantine period for international travelers has been rolled out following a clinical review of aspects such as the Omicron variant’s incubation period, the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) has informed.

“Based on the studies of Omicron patients in Indonesia and global Omicron cases, the incubation time of the Omicron variant is shorter than the Delta variant, which is around three to five days,” KSP expert officer Abraham Wirotomo explained at the Bina Graha Building in the Presidential Palace Complex here on Monday.

Wirotomo said he is optimistic that shortening the quarantine period will have a positive impact on controlling Omicron cases because the supervision carried out by officers will be more optimal.

“Other than maximizing supervision, lessened quarantine time will save the amount of fees paid by the public. Hopefully, the community will be more disciplined in undergoing quarantine and the Omicron surge can be held back,” he said.

Earlier on Monday, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, had announced that the government had decided to reduce the quarantine period for citizens returning from overseas.

As per the latest policy, the quarantine period for those returning from countries with high Omicron cases has been shortened to 10 days from 14 days. For travelers returning from other countries, the quarantine period has been shortened to 7 days from 10 days, Pandjaitan informed after a limited evaluation of public activity restrictions (PPKM).

He also stressed that the government will not grant discretion or dispensation to those coming from abroad. The government will only refer to quarantine rules according to the instructions of the Minister of Home Affairs, he said.

On Sunday (January 2, 2021), the total number of Omicron cases in Indonesia reached 138, comprising 135 imported cases and three local transmissions.

Source: Antara News