Jakarta. Indonesia will extend the entry ban on foreign visitors for another 14 days.

The announcement comes a few days ahead of its deadline.

"President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has agreed to extend the entry ban on foreigners. It is currently in effect from January 1 to January 14. We will extend it by 14 days," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said in a virtual press conference on Monday.

The government previously decided to bar foreigners from entering the country on concern over the new coronavirus strain. 

"There have been reports about a new strain of Covid-19 that according to scientific studies is capable of spreading more rapidly," Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said at a virtual conference back on Dec. 28, 2020.

At the conference, Retno said delegations on official visits especially at the ministerial level or above are exempt from the new rule. However, these delegations must still follow strict health protocols.

Despite Indonesia's massive case surges, there are still no reports of the new virus strain in the country. As of Sunday, Indonesia has recorded 828,026 positive Covid-19 cases.