Francisca Christy Rosana, Jakarta – The Communications and Informatics Ministry spokesperson Dedy Permadi in a written statement on Thursday explained about the arrival of international visitors and Indonesians from abroad during the country's Emergency PPKM (public activity restriction).

He defended that the government has acted under recommendations of international organizations, citing that the World Health Organization (WHO) has not instructed international borders to be closed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The WHO also asserted that the policy does not need to interfere with international traffic," Dedy wrote in the statement on Thursday, July 8.

He also mentioned that the organization condones international flights that are prioritized for emergency situations and humanitarian programs such as repatriations of Indonesian citizens abroad.

In terms of the risks, Dedy said that the Indonesian government has enforced strict requirements before an international visitor is permitted to step foot on Indonesian soil, such as lengthy Covid-19 tests and electronic visitor's registration (e-HAC). He also encouraged people to not consider international visitors as virus carriers.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1481065/govt-defends-it-opens-international-borders-under-emergency-ppk