On February 8, Indonesia had nearly 37,500 new cases across the country and was the highest daily increase since August 2021.
However, this country’s officials have also repeatedly talked about not issuing additional restrictions in Java, Bali or many other islands and completely opening Bali to the world from February 4.
Ms. Nia Niscaya, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, described the opening of Bali as a `pilot plan`.
Tourists at Canggu beach, Bali.
To attract tourists to Bali, the government is marketing the five-day quarantine program as a `draft vacation`.
Tourists can also choose to sip drinks in private villas, where they can do everything without stepping out of the complex.
High risk
Regarding additional restrictions if infections continue to increase, Ms. Niscaya said that Indonesia is relying on strict health protection protocols and high vaccination rates to prevent the spread.
Bali’s population is more than 4.2 million people, currently the vaccination rate is more than 100% (including vaccination for foreigners), the hospitalization rate due to serious illness is low.
However, epidemiologist Dr. Dicky Budiman of Griffith University, Australia said opening Bali’s borders is still `high risk`.
`In the second wave caused by Delta, 20% of patients were hospitalized, 5% became seriously ill. For Omicron, the number of hospitalizations was 10%. The remaining people had no symptoms, or mild. But 10
Tourists enter the country at Ngurah Rai airport, Bali.
There is no perfect time
Many experts believe that the move to open to tourists from early February is still a high risk.
When asked about the decision to allow direct international flights to Bali in the context of the Omicron variant outbreak, the Indonesian Government said that we are living with an epidemic.
Bali’s tourism industry has praised the reopening and welcomed the program.
`The government is not afraid to open up. Balinese people appreciate this,` said Putu Winastra, Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Travel & Tourism Agencies in Bali.
The association, in addition to welcoming the government’s initiative to start the holiday, also hopes that the policy requiring visitors to quarantine for 5 days will soon be removed.
