Jayapura, Jubi – Until Saturday (14/3/2020), the application of policy to restrict both Indonesian and foreign citizens visiting Papua is still unclear notwithstanding the result of the meeting held by the Papuan Regional Coordination Forum in Jayapura on 5 March 2020 to prevent the coronavirus entering Papua.
The Papuan Provincial Secretary Herry Dosinaen says the Papua Provincial Government has followed up the meeting outcome by issuing the Governor’s Instruction. “It includes the Instruction for foreign citizens as well. It will distribute immediately to regencies/municipality and other government institutions. You can check it at the Legal Bureau Office,” says Dosinaen in Jayapura on Thursday (12/3/2020).
Further, he says that the visit restriction for national citizens and prohibition of foreigners entering Papua will apply by intensifying of supervision to airports and ports that are the entry points for outsiders to Papua. “It means those who are on duty must selectively apply this instruction. For example, it should be a further examination to each passenger in the airport, whether they are national or foreign citizens,” he says.
However, until Saturday, Jubi has not yet received the official copy of the instruction. Moreover, on the scene, the policy has not affected the flight schedules in Sentani Airport yet.
As cited from http://djj.informasibandara.org/ais/web_arrival/web_arrival.php that accessed at 21.30 Papua time, ten flights are scheduled to arrive in the Sentani International Airport during Sunday (15/3/2020). They are including Citilink QG 700 from Makassar (scheduled to arrive at 00.00 Papua time), Lion Air JT 794 from Jakarta (scheduled to arrive at 06.00 Papua time), Lion Air JT3794 from Denpasar (scheduled to arrive at 06.00 Papua time).
Meanwhile, other flights scheduled to arrive at Sentani International Airport on Sunday are GA656 from Jakarta (scheduled to arrive at 06.45 Papua time), Lion Air JT798 from Makassar (scheduled arrived at 06.55 Papua time), Batik Air ID6180 from Jakarta (scheduled to arrive at 07.15 Papua time), Sriwijaya Air SJ 268 from Surabaya (scheduled to arrive at 13.00 Papua time), Garuda Indonesia GA631 from Makassar (scheduled to arrive at 13.45 Papua time), Citilink QG 712 from Makassar (scheduled to arrive at 15.30 Papua time), and Batik Air ID 6182 from Makassar (scheduled to arrive at 16.15 Papua time). The flight schedules to Papua are relatively not changing to the previous before the visit restriction policy to Papua applied.
Separately, on Thursday, the Director of Jayapura Regional Public Hospital Aloysius Giay stated that the hospital authority had asked the quarantine and immigration offices as well as other relevant offices to restrict the examination at the airports, ports and border gates. “It is not only checking the temperature of the body because the instruments already installed at the airport,” admits Giyai.
Moreover, he says the health screening tools have been installed at both Sentani and Frans Kaisiepo airports for checking the health condition of passengers. “We have installed the tools at Sentani and Biak airports, but not for seaports. We have asked the quarantine office to conduct the screening selectively,” says Giyai. (*)
Reporter: Alexander Loen
Editor: Pipit Maizier
