Indonesia warily weighs holiday travel with virus concerns

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesians are looking ahead warily toward the holiday travel season, anxious for crucial tourist spending but worried an influx of visitors could spread the coronavirus just as its pandemic situation seems to be subsiding.

After seeing infection and death rates soar in July and August, officials said this week they are sticking to plans to allow travel with some limitations. They expect nearly 20 million people to vacation in the popular islands of Java and Bali.

The archipelago nation with the world’s fourth highest population has seen dramatic improvements since the devastating midyear months, but its vaccination rollout is lagging behind most others in Southeast Asia. Experts also question whether the official figures tell the true story, saying there is evidence many COVID-19 cases are going undetected and unreported, suggesting widespread travel could cause a resurgence.

“There is some progression in terms of number of cases and, of course, in mortality, but what the government reports doesn’t always represent or reflect the real situation in communities,” said Dicky Budiman, an Indonesian epidemiologist and academic adviser to the government.

Indonesia is transitioning to treating the coronavirus as an endemic disease rather than one that can be eliminated in the population. It is seeking to balance the idea of living with COVID-19 with precautions to minimize the risk of another broad outbreak.

After announcing that year-end travel would be permitted, the government on Wednesday cancelled the Christmas Eve holiday — on a Friday this year — in an effort to discourage vacationing somewhat.

President Joko Widodo also urged regional officials to manage and regulate visitors to minimize crowds.

“We hope that we can manage Christmas and...