Indonesia is lifting its mandate for outdoor masks because its COVID-19 outbreak is growing under control, says President Joko Widoda.
However, the mandate for masks remains in force for indoor activities and public transport, he said.
Vidoda also said that all fully vaccinated travelers will no longer need to pass COVID-19 tests to enter Indonesia.
The announcements came two weeks after millions of Indonesians celebrated Eid al-Fitr at the end of Holy Muslim Ramadan by going to see their families, ending two years of pandemic restrictions and travel restrictions.
Cases of COVID-19 continue to decline, forcing the government to soften its mask policy.
“If people are engaged in the fresh air or in open areas where there are no people, they are allowed not to wear masks,” Vidoda said in a televised address.
In March, Indonesia lifted quarantine requirements for foreign guests by joining a number of other countries in the region, including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines, which have announced or have already taken such steps.
The country has largely recovered after a mid-February surge caused by Omicron peaked at around 64,700 cases a day.
Newly confirmed daily infections have dropped to about 200, and about 80 percent of the eligible 208 million population has been fully vaccinated.
The government has already lifted many mobility restrictions that have been in place for two years.
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/coronavirus/indonesia-scraps-outdoor-mask-mandate-c-6838257
