“New Normal” Health Protocols will be applied in Yogyakarta

Including in the tourism industry, “New Normal” health protocols will be applied from July in Yogyakarta, city in Indonesia, said the Yogyakarta administration.

Kadarmanta Baskara Aji, the administration secretary, told on Friday (May 22) that one of the regulations would limit the number of visitors to tourist destinations up to 100 people.

Tourist destinations, hotels, shopping malls, traditional markets will also have to put these protocols in place such as hand sanitizer must be provided at the all entrances, the number of guests per room in the hotel will also be limited, all working staff and visitors have to follow a social distance from each other. For shopping malls and markets, organizers will have to be prepared for large crowds and make sure that visitors wear face masks at all time.

In regards to why protocols will apply only in July, Kadarmanta Baskara Aji said one of the factors is that social assistance funds will end in June. Afterward, the public would be expected to resume their activities and businesses while adhering to health protocols.

It was also reported that Yogyakarta were planning to reopen 20 hotels and restaurants in early June amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Deddy Pranowo Eryono, head of the Yogyakarta branch of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), said that the properties need to prepare the necessary facilities to implement the COVID-19 health protocols.

Most popular tourist destinations in the country such as the Borobudur and Prambanan temples in Central Java will also be opened to the public in June after being closed for more than three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The temples’ organizer said that their reopening would comply with COVID-19 protocols, such as requiring visitors to wear face masks and practice physical distancing. The management will use cashless ticketing services to reduce interactions between visitors and staff.