The Indonesian government is making booster shots mandatory for domestic and international travel, as well as for all forms of indoor public activities such as visiting shopping centers and working in the office. 

This policy is enforced through several regulations issued by the Indonesian COVID-19 Task Force, the Ministry of Home Affairs, as well as the Ministry of Transportation within this past week.  

The regulation from the COVID-19 Task Force, issued under Head of COVID-19 Task Force Circular No. 21 and 22 of 2022, effectively makes booster shots mandatory for domestic and international travel. Those who have not had their booster vaccinations must produce a negative antigen test result that is valid for 1x24 hours or a negative RT-PCR test result that is valid for 3x24 hours. 

The decision above is further strengthened by Indonesian Ministry of Transportation Circulars No. 68 through 74, with each circular providing technical guidelines on the enforcement of the rule for domestic and international travel through land, air and sea in regards to mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Finally, Circular No. 440/3917/SJ from the Ministry of Home Affairs is the latest regulation that makes booster shots essentially vital to engage in public activities as it urges regional and city administrations to make booster shots mandatory for entering offices, shopping centers, restaurants, and other public facilities or areas. 

These regulations come amidst a significant rise in COVID-19 daily infection cases caused by the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariant of the coronavirus. Daily cases has risen to above 1,000 per day since June, from the around 300 infections per-day rate in May. Meanwhile, the death rate has remained relatively low compared to the Delta variant outbreak on August 2021, hovering around mostly in the single digits in that same period. 

Meanwhile, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, has urged Indonesians to start wearing masks outdoors after previously saying that wearing mask outdoors were no longer required. 

“I want to remind everyone that COVID-19 is still here, that is why be it indoors or outdoors, wearing mask is still a must,” he said after attending Islamic holiday Eid-Adha prayer at Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta, Sunday, July 10, 2022.