Indonesia and Malaysia may ease curbs on vaccinated foreign travellers soon

Indonesia is considering a quarantine waiver for foreign visitors to its holiday island of Bali from this week, officials said, while neighbour Malaysia announced the removal of curbs on travellers from Thailand and Cambodia.

Indonesia and Malaysia have imposed some of the strictest entry procedures in Asia to try to contain Covid-19 outbreaks and keep new variants at bay, but the restrictions have battered their tourism sectors. The Indonesian waiver for visitors vaccinated against the coronavirus is under discussion but likely to be decided by President Joko Widodo, said a spokesman for the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Ministry. The spokesman also said visitors from 23 countries, including Australia, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands, would qualify for a visa on arrival under revised rules.

Ida Ayu Indah Yustikarini of Bali’s government tourism office also confirmed the quarantine waiver plan to Reuters but said the final decision is with the central government.

Malaysia will allow vaccinated arrivals from Cambodia and Thailand to skip quarantine from March 15. The moves follow neighbours the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand, which have waived quarantine in return for Covid-19 testing before departure and upon arrival.

(Source: Reuters)