Ministry Prepares to Implement Mandatory Booster Shots Rule

TheIndonesia.id - The Indonesian government has announced that it will make COVID-19 booster shots mandatory requirement for mobility and travel, and related ministries and agencies are currently formulating necessary regulations to support the plan’s implementation.

The Ministry of Transportation said it’s currently preparing policies and mechanisms of COVID-19 booster shot as a requirement for travel.

“Currently, the Ministry is discussing our preparedness to implement [the rule] alongside other stakeholders in the transportation sector,” the Ministry’s spokesperson Adita Irawati said on Tuesday, July 5, as reported by Antara.

According to her, the latest circular letter issued by Indonesia’s COVID-19 Task Force will be the reference for Ministry in formulating the policies.

The Ministry also plans to open vaccination centers in various locations, including transport hubs, such as airports, terminals, ports, and stations.

“This has been done before, and it’s proven to work in increasing vaccination rate in Indonesia,” Irawati stated.

Earlier this week, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan revealed that booster shots will be made mandatory in Indonesia as COVID-19 cases surge in the last few weeks.

“[The government] will make booster shot a requirement for mobility [and activities] in public spaces. The government will also make booster mandatory for air, land, and sea travel, and it will take effect two weeks from now at the latest,” Pandjaitan said on Monday.

He also revealed that the military, police, and local governments have been ordered to more rigorously encourage vaccination and conduct tracing.