COVID-19 has risen in Indonesia, prompting a prohibition on foreign tourist arrivals at the Jakarta airport

Indonesia has temporarily restricted foreign visitors from entering the nation through Jakarta's airport, according to the transport ministry, in an effort to reduce the number of coronavirus illnesses caused by the Omicron type.

More than 36,000 illnesses were recorded on Sunday (Feb 6) in the Southeast Asian country, with the bed occupancy rate in hospitals in the capital hitting 63 percent.

The decision to prohibit tourists from flying to Jakarta comes only days after Bali welcomed its first international flight in over two years.

The new rules apply to international visitors and Indonesians who have travelled overseas for vacations, according to a statement posted late Sunday by the ministry.

According to Novie Riyanto, director general for civil aviation at the ministry, the decision to "temporarily restrict tourist arrivals" was made to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Tourists coming in from other countries will still be able to land in Bali, as well as Batam and Tanjung Pinang in the Riau Islands near Singapore.

Officials in Indonesia have cautioned that the Omicron variant's spike in cases may not peak until late February.

Despite these worries, Bali welcomed an aircraft from Tokyo last Thursday carrying six foreigners, largely travel agents, who were on board to assess the island's readiness to host foreign tourists.

This October, Bali formally opened its doors to visitors from 19 countries, but foreign tourists were limited due to the lack of non-cargo flights until last week.

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