Chinese foreign epidemiologist: it’s unfair

Epidemiologists say Chinese foreigners’ entry policy inconsistent

medialnews, JAKARTA— Griffith University of Australia epidemiologist Dicky Budiman said the government should prevent foreign citizens (WNAs) from China from entering Indonesia. Indeed, the foreigner has the potential to carry a new variant of the Covid-19 virus and worsen pandemic conditions in Indonesia.

“You are concerned that the government is accepting Chinese foreigners in Indonesia. It is a bad situation. It should strengthen the screening of every person entering Indonesia, and not be relaxed,” he said, contacted by Republika.co.id, Sunday (9/5).

He reminded the government not to tighten national regulations but to ease the entry of foreigners into Indonesia. Although work or business must first be postponed because the situation worsens in a pandemic like this.

“The government needs to empathize and know how dangerous it is to accept foreigners entering Indonesia. After all, the government also forbids going home. People think the government is unfair. in this case, the government must be consistent and fair with all regulations., “he said.

Previously known, the Director General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Jhoni Ginting, pointed out that all foreign nationals (WNA) from China who entered Indonesia through the Soekarno-Hatta airport had meets immigration regulations and international travel regulations during Covid-19. pandemic in Indonesia.

The rules to which Jhoni referred are the Regulation of the Minister of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia number 26 of 2020 regarding visas and residence permits during the period of adaptation to new habits and Circular number 8 of 2021 concerning the protocols for the Corona virus disease pandemic of 2019 (Covid-19).

“The treatment of every foreign citizen who comes to Indonesia has followed the rules of the Covid-19 Handling Task Force,” Jhoni Ginting said in a statement on Friday (7/5).

He said the immigration officer would not give an entry permit if the foreigners did not pass the officer’s health check. He continued, the health check was carried out by agents of the port health office of the Ministry of Health (KKP Kemenkes) according to the protocol of arrival of international travelers.

After the health check, the immigration officer will also check all travel documents and immigration documents for each foreigner who enters Indonesia. He said that currently, the rules prohibiting entry to foreigners during the Covid-19 pandemic still apply.