By: Aulia Hawa )*
Covid-19 is reported to continue to mutate and has the potential to spread to various parts of the world. The Indonesian government also moved quickly by tightening the border gates to protect citizens from the threat of transmission of the more contagious Corona virus.
The airport is a place that is prone to Corona transmission because there are many people and there is a potential for crowds. In addition, at the airport there are also foreign tourists who enter, and even though they have been tested in their country, it is not necessarily safe. The reason is because there is a potential for Corona transmission on the way.
Therefore the government tightened the border gate at the airport, especially for tourists from the United States and Turkey. This was stated by the Coordinating Minister for Humanities, Luhut B Panjaitan. According to Luhut, in America there is a spike in cases of up to 200,000 people per day, because there is a virus mutation. This increase in cases has occurred since August 2021.
In addition to the United States, tourists from Turkey must also be closely examined, because there is an increase in Corona cases there. Indeed, they are still allowed to enter Indonesia but must first quarantine, both in hotels and other places provided. Quarantine is carried out for 8 days, because on the second day it is usually seen whether or not you have Corona.
Tightening and quarantine are not discrimination against foreign nationals, but rather an effort so that there is no Corona transmission from them to Indonesian citizens at the airport. We still remember the first Covid case in this country, when there were 3 civilians who came into contact with a foreign citizen and finally got Corona, then this evil virus spread throughout Indonesia.
During quarantine at the hotel, foreign tourists are also not allowed to leave their rooms an inch, even just a walk to the swimming pool area is also not allowed. They are only allowed to stay in their respective rooms and food is delivered by hotel employees, of course with strict health protocols and maintaining distance.
This model of quarantine is not a modern prison, but an effort to prevent the spread of the new variant of Corona in Indonesia. Especially at this time the Covid-19 virus continues to mutate and finally becomes Corona variant Mu. This mutated virus has not yet entered Indonesia and should not enter, therefore there must be strict screening at the airport and quarantine.
Minister Luhut added that international flights are timed to avoid crowds and dangerous crowds. Angkasapura also obeyed the government’s advice and the officers were alert to work and kept everyone at a distance. So that no new Corona clusters will be formed.
All of these efforts are carried out so that there will be no more transmission of any variant of the Corona virus in Indonesia, which is brought by foreign tourists. Currently the number of Covid patients is decreasing and the curve should not rise again because there is the spread of the virus at the airport, which was brought by those who had traveled from Turkey and the United States.
Foreigners who have just landed in Indonesia also obey the rules of the game and don’t run away when going into quarantine. They understand that strict inspection and quarantine is the standard that must be done during a pandemic. All this for the safety and security of all.
Tightening of border gates is carried out at airports, especially on international flights, so that there is no Corona transmission brought in from abroad. Quarantine must also be carried out so that those who have traveled from outside can be safe and proven not to carry the Covid-19 virus.
)* The author is a contributor to the Press Circle and Cikini Students
