The current situation in Bali, as of 21st March 2021, the official tally has reported a total of 37,947 cases in Bali, where the population is around more than 4.3 million. With 35,408 cases of recovery, Bali’s recovery rate is at 93,31 percent.
Visas on arrival to Bali were halted on 20 March 2020 while The Ngurah Rai airport remains open. There is still a travel restriction in place for Indonesia where passengers are not allowed to transit or enter the country, with a few exceptions. Bali relies heavily on tourism and had welcomed 6.3 million foreign visitors in the year 2019. The pandemic has naturally impacted the local economy.
Local airlines showed that there are several domestic flight schedules operated by a few local airlines such as: Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air and Trigana Air. The country’s national carrier, Garuda Indonesia, is among the airline resuming domestic operations. It has also implemented social distancing procedure in the cabin, including blocking out the middle seats.
Foreigners are not allowed to visit Bali at the moment, but if you are a resident of Indonesia it is still remaind open. International tourists remain banned from visiting Bali in line with the policy of the Government of Indonesia. Other than that, the Balinese government has released a statement detailing who and what are allowed to enter the island. They include transports of basic security, logistical, and medical purposes, diplomatic personnel, personnel working for government projects, and personnel related to COVID-19 aid management.
The Vice Governor of Bali in a conference feed also added that entries are allowed for patients in need of emergency help, passengers attending to urgent matters like death or illness in the immediate family, and repatriated migrant workers and overseas Indonesian students.
For domestic travellers planning on visiting Bali, please consult the following:
- Travellers planning on flying to Bali must first acquire a negative PCR-based swab test issued within 2 days prior to departure.
- Travellers planning on entering Bali by land and sea must first acquire a negative rapid antigen test taken within 2 days prior to departure.
- All travellers must fill out the electronic-Health Alert Card (e-HAC)
- While in Bali, travellers must make sure they have a valid test certificate on hand. This means ensuring that the test certificate is renewed after a 14-day period has elapsed.
- For those wishing to take the PCR test upon arrival, the Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport provides on-arrival tests priced at IDR 170,000 per person.
In a recent development the Governor of Bali, Mr. I Wayan Koster has stated that the Island of Bali will continue to push various policies in order to restore the trust of international tourists. Although no specific dates have been detailed, the Bali provincial government reiterates its commitment to open its borders to international tourism.
The Governor of Bali stated that reopening Bali will come in stages and tourism may be the last sector to be fully opened. To local media, he said that the tentative plan is to open to foreign visitors in June 2021. However, the local government said they’re in “no rush”, opting to focus on successfully flattening the curve and carefully considering their options.
To prepare for future reopening, Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has proposed a programme of Cleanliness, Health, and Safety (CHS), referring to their pledge to ensure the cleanliness of all tourist spots, provide health checks for all visitors, and guarantee the safety of tourists and locals alike across the archipelago. Bali as the top tourist destination in the country has already implement the CHS procedures, particularly in Nusa Dua area.
Bali is lauded as one of the few places that have managed to keep the pandemic under control. As of March 2021, the number of daily cases remains low compared to most areas in Indonesia. However, experts warned that this is hardly a strong indication that the island is a safe haven from the virus. Asymptomatic cases and low testing rate may be a more plausible explanation as to why the island records low Coronavirus cases.
News by #balimidori www.balimidori.com
