Dili, 11 March, 2020 (TATOLI) – Foreign nationals who travel through four Covid-19 hotspots will be banned from entering Timor-Leste, under measures announced today by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNEK).
The ban applies to anyone who travelled through China, Iran, Italy and South Korea in the past four weeks. However it doesn’t apply to Timor-Leste citizens returning home from those countries.
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MNEK announced the resolution this afternoon, following a decision by the Council of Ministers. In a letter sent to government departments and international partners this afternoon, the Ministry said foreigners who’ve travelled through the four named countries and are already here will be asked to leave.
“The Council of Ministers has also decided to implement a a temporary measure imposting 14 days mandatory quarantine for all foreign citizens who have arrived in…Timor-Leste from the above countries and refuse to travel back to [their] point of origin,” the letter said.
The ministry said it would be “most grateful” if the foreign embassies would “lend their valuable support” by informing their citizens of the new policy.
The Council of Ministers’ resolution is effective immediately, and will be reviewed every two weeks.
The twin measures are in response to the increase in confirmed Covid-19 cases globally, now 118,000. Timor-Leste is one of just three countries in Southeast Asia without a recorded case of the virus since the outbreak began in China in December.
On Sunday, neighbouring Indonesia issued a ban affecting passengers who’ve travelled through Italy, Iran and South Korea, in addition to an existing measures for China. However, the ban was targeted at 10 specific regions in those countries, and patients can present a medical certificate to avoid the ban.
The letter from the ministry did not specify where the mandatory quarantine would take place. But in a press conference yesterday, Vice-Health Minister Élia António de Araújo dos Reis Amaral said two sites — Bairro Formosa clinic in Dili, and a women’s shelter at Tibar — were “80 per cent” ready to accept patients.
Journalist: Robert Baird
