Indonesia Allows Travel Bubble in Batam, Bintan for Tourists from Singapore

TheIndonesia.co - The Indonesia government has officially opened travel bubble for tourists from Singapore in travel destinations in Batam and Bintan.

Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force Wiku Adisasmito said the decision is taken after the tourism sector is deemed ready to welcome tourists, with strict health protocol in place. And travel bubble aims to limit contact and interaction between different groups.

“The opening of tourism sector, accompanied with established health protocols through travel bubble system seeks to classify tourists into different groups or bubbles,” Adisasmito said in a statement on Tuesday, January 25.

The mechanism will divide tourists who are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 with the general public. It will also regulate interaction and contact to only occur between members of the same bubble.

Adisasmito said there are a number of requirements that the organizer and management of travel destinations must fulfill and follow in order to open travel bubble in their facilities. These requirements are regulated in Task Force’s circular letter which came into effect from January 24.

It must have supporting staffs to ensure security and implementation of health protocols, health workers which consists of at least one doctor and one nurse, and staff to supporting staffs for administration, cleaning, and cooking.

The facility must also install monitoring system, such as CCTV, to ensure health protocol implementation. The rooms must also have good ventilation and lighting, be equipped with closed trash bin and plastic bags for infectious waste, use easy-to-clean equipment, and have en-suite bathroom. In addition, there should also be rooms for more than one guest and family available.

The Task Force also require facilities and infrastructures to be completed with areas for specimen collection, health observation, pick-up, registration, decontamination or disinfection, outdoor activities, and health assessment; areas for quarantine and isolation which are detached from the travel bubble; resting room for supporting staffs involved in the monitoring of health protocols; disposal site that meets environmental sanitation standards; and sufficient supply of cleaning tools, disinfectant, and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Arrival Protocol

The circular letter also regulates the two entry points, which are Nongsapura Ferry Terminal for Nongsa Sensation travel bubble in Batam and Bandar Bintan Telani Ferry Terminal Lagoi Bintan Resort travel bubble in Bintan.

To partake in the travel bubble mechanism, all arrivals from Singapore, both Indonesian citizens and foreigners, will have to show proof of full vaccination in English dated at least 14 days prior to departure, negative PCR result dated three days before departure, and proof of travel bubble booking.

Tourists are also asked to use PeduliLindungi and Bluepass apps in their activity within the travel bubble.