Indonesia to close borders to all foreigners on Jan. 1

Indonesia will temporarily close its borders to all foreign nationals from Jan. 1 to 14, 2021. In an advisory dated Dec. 29, the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta said only airline crew, holders of the Indonesian stay permit, and holders of diplomatic or official visa for an official ministerial visit would be allowed entry. But the embassy stressed that those exempted would still be subjected to safety measures implemented by the Indonesian government. These include presenting a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test taken 48 hours prior to departure and retaking the RT-PCR test upon arrival. Exempted individuals must also undergo a mandatory five-day quarantine while waiting for the result, the embassy said. —Tina G. Santos