GOVERNOR OF BALI PRESS RELEASE AUGUST 22, 2020
The latest news from the Governor of Bali released yesterday (August 22, 2020) about travel restrictions for international tourists states that there will be no entry granted for foreign tourists until the start of 2021.
Even though initially, the governor of Bali planned to reopen borders for international tourists in September of 2020 and the number of fatalities in Bali due to COVID-19 is relatively low; unfortunately, Indonesia is still considered to be a red zone. And therefore, the borders will be closed for foreigners for the rest of the year.
THE INITIAL PLAN FOR INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS
The Governor of Bali, together with heads of municipality/city have agreed to implement community activity that is productive and COVID-19 safe gradually, selective and limited by implementing the new era life order protocols.
The phases are as follows:
Phase one:
Implement limited and selective activities only for local Bali community scope, from July 9, 2020, that falls on the good date, Umanis Sinta Thursday. For this first phase, according to directives from the national task force for an acceleration of COVID-19 management, the new era life order implementation, which allows limited to the following sectors:
- Health
- Government offices
- Tradition and religion
- Financial
- Industry, trade, logistic, transport, cooperative MSME, traditional market, modern market, restaurant, and hawkers
- Agriculture, plantation, marine/fishery, and farming
- Service and construction.
Phase two:
Implement more extensive activities including tourism sector but limited to domestic tourists from July 31, 2020, that falls on the good date, Pon Kulantir Friday.
The first and second phase activity has been relatively well and successful. Evaluation results show that the first and second phase activity does not affect the COVID-19 cases; there has been no increase and no new clusters.
Phase three: (postponed until the end of the year)
Implements extensive activities in the tourism sector, including for international tourists, starting on September 11, 2020, which falls on the good date, Kliwon Sungsang, Sugihan Bali Friday.
INCAPABILITY TO OPEN THE BORDERS TO INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS:
The third phase has been postponed due to:
a. The effective regulation from the Republic of Indonesia’s Minister of Law and Human Rights number 11 of 2020 temporary ban for foreigners to enter the Republic of Indonesia territory.
b. The government of Indonesia still applies policy that forbids its citizens to go abroad, at least until the end of 2020. Also, Indonesia’s government has not opened the entrance for international tourists into Indonesia until the end of 2020 because Indonesia is still categorized as a red zone. The situation in Indonesia is not conducive to allow foreign tourists to visit Indonesia, including visit Bali.
The statements above sadly confirm the bad news that’s been going around the past week. We will need to be patient and support one another in this difficult time.
For those of you who are already in Indonesia, we are ready to welcome you in our villas with special rates! ?
