Indonesia asks Saudi Arabia to review its vaccine, umrah policies

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Throughout a latest assembly together with her Saudi Arabian counterpart Faisal bin Farhan, Indonesian International Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi requested Saudi Arabia to evaluate its insurance policies on COVID-19 vaccinations and Umrah insurance policies for potential Indonesian pilgrims.

On the assembly, which was carried out between classes of the United Nations Normal Meeting in New York Metropolis, america on Tuesday, Marsudi described the present COVID-19 scenario in Indonesia, which has seen a big decline in infections.

“We hope that the knowledge can be utilized by the Saudi Arabian authorities to evaluate its insurance policies associated to vaccines, Umrah, and different issues,” she stated whereas delivering a digital press assertion from New York on Wednesday.

Moreover, the Indonesian minister stated that throughout the assembly, she additionally emphasised that COVID-19 vaccines’ emergency-use itemizing issued by WHO be used as a reference within the policy-making course of relating to vaccines.

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Though the Saudi Arabian authorities has eliminated the 14-day quarantine requirement for potential Umrah pilgrims from a number of international locations with excessive COVID-19 transmission, the Umrah allow for Indonesian residents has nonetheless stalled, she famous.

The Saudi Arabian authorities is now demanding that potential pilgrims get booster vaccines and convey their vaccine certificates, she stated.

The booster doses have to be among the many 4 vaccines advisable by the federal government— AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, she added.

Thus, Indonesian potential pilgrims — who’ve largely obtained Sinovac vaccines – have to connect two certificates of the Sinovac vaccine and the booster vaccine, Marsudi stated.

The duty to manage the booster vaccines is taken into account burdensome for Indonesia, she added.

Therefore, Non secular Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas stated he plans to go to Saudi Arabia within the close to future to foyer the federal government to revoke the booster vaccine obligation for Indonesian potential pilgrims.

“We are going to foyer the federal government. We are going to attempt our greatest, nevertheless, we can’t assure to carry excellent news. We solely can proceed making each effort,” he stated.

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