Travellers planning to embark on road trips to and from Java or within Java in their private vehicles during this end of the year holidays have no obligation to carry out an antigen test.
Meanwhile, travellers going on intercity trains must carry a negative rapid antigen test with results no later than 72 hours before departure starting from tomorrow, 22nd December 2020 until 8th January 2021.
“KAI (Kereta Api Indonesia) complies with all the health protocol rules set by the government in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through the rail network,” said Executive Vice President Corporate Secretary of PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) Dadan Rudiansyah.
This policy refers to the COVID-19 Handling Task Force circular number 3 and the Ministry of Transportation circular letter number 23. These two regulations stipulate that long-distance passengers using public transportation are required to carry results of negative rapid antigen test or a PCR test.
Also, Read Rapid Antigen Test Required to Enter and Exit Jakarta
To accommodate the needs of train passengers, KAI began opening antigen test services on 21st December 2020 at a price of Rp105,000. At the initial stage, the service is available at Gambir Station, Pasar Senen, Kiaracondong, Cirebon Prujakan, Tegal, Semarang Tawang, Yogyakarta, Surabaya Gubeng, and Surabaya Pasar Turi.
Executive General Manager of Soekarno-Hatta Airport, PT Angkasa Pura II, Agus Haryadi, admitted that in recent days, the airport has been full of hundreds of people at the COVID-19 service area and queues were long at terminals 2 and 3.
“Public interest in the antigen rapid test service is extraordinary,” said Agus.
Agus’s statement was in response to the viral photos on social media depicting the hectic atmosphere at Soekarno-Hatta’s terminal 2. Hundreds of airport visitors were seen lining up and crowding in front of the train station at the terminal.
Agus admitted that crowded queues also occur at terminal 3. AP II, said Agus, has deployed more officers. “There were so many people, our officers were not visible,” said Agus.
According to Agus, the phenomenon of people overwhelming services at Soekarno-Hatta Airport is due to several factors. “Based on our observations, first, the public panicked because antigen rapid test services were still rarely found,” said Agus.
The second factor, Agus continued, was that the public assumed that the rapid antigen test had taken effect a few days ago. This policy will only take effect on 22nd December.
