Indonesia: Authorities in Bali postpone reopening island to international tourists as of August 22 /update 32

Event

Bali's Governor Wayan Koster announced on Saturday, August 22, that the reopening of the island to international tourism, scheduled for September 11, will be postponed. This comes after an uptick in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases. Indonesia has reported the highest number of COVID-19 fatalities in Southeast Asia, and Bali, as of Monday, August 24, has reported 4576 cases of the virus, and 52 fatalities. 

Indonesian authorities announced on August 13, that they will extend social restrictions in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 through until at least August 27. 

Measures include the prohibition of all entry and transit by foreign nationals into or through Indonesia. These measures include the entry of foreign workers. Wearing face masks in public is also mandatory. Restaurants, places of worship, and public transportation are operating at limited capacity. However, foreigners with a limited stay permit card (Kitas), permanent stay permit card (Kitap), or other similar permits will still be allowed to enter the country.

As of August 24, there has been 155,412 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 6759 associated fatalities in Indonesia. Further international spread of the virus is expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.