JAKARTA, March 31 (CNA) - Indonesia's Foreign Minister said on Tuesday (Mar 31) the government has decided to ban all arrivals and transits by foreigners in Indonesia to prevent a further spread of the coronavirus.

Foreigners with stay permits and some diplomatic visits will be exempted from the ban, Retno Marsudi said, adding that the government aims to issue the regulations for the ban on Tuesday.

The government will also strengthen screening for Indonesian nationals returning to the country, she said.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Monday that he plans to impose stricter limits on mobility between regions and also to implement a large-scale policy of social distancing to help curb the spread of coronavirus.

The coronavirus epidemic is "far from over" in the Asia-Pacific region, and the current measures to curb the spread of the virus are merely buying time for countries to prepare for large-scale community transmissions, a World Health Organization official said on Tuesday.