Tourists visiting Indonesia required to download mpox tracing app before trip
Before you can enjoy your trip to Bali or anywhere else in Indonesia, you must first comply with the country's new screening process to combat the recent monkeypox (mpox) virus outbreak.
In a report by The Bali Sun, Indonesia’s Ministry of Health is rolling out a new app called "SatuSehat" to enforce "electronic self-declaration" forms and to track the spread of the mpox virus.
International travelers to the country, as well as flight crew members, are now required to download the app and complete the SatuSehat Health Pass form before passing through immigration.
This comes after 80 individuals in the country have been affected by the virus over the past year.
The new screening process is also in response to the World Health Organization declaring mpox as a public health emergency of international concern.
Authorities have also been mandated to coordinate with the Health Quarantine Center if there is a problem in filling out the electronic self-declaration form at the arrival airport.
Additionally, Bali airport biosecurity teams have stationed thermal imaging cameras at arrival terminals to detect passengers with elevated temperatures.
Dante Saksono Harbuwono, the Deputy Minister of Health, assured that they have a smooth plan as to how they will quarantine passengers who appear to have contracted the mpox virus.
"We and the Health Quarantine Center have determined the screening scenario, starting from the placement of screening tools, the PCR (swab test) room, and questionnaires to the process of referring to hospitals," Harbuwono said.
"After the scenario that we applied and tried to simulate today, we have determined the place where the swab test will be carried out, where the thermal scanner will be installed, and where the questionnaire is so that all can be identified correctly and not disturb other passengers," he added.
The app is available to download on Apple's App Store or Google Play or accessed via the online form.