The Badung Regency Government is proposing the central government open international tourism to vaccinated individuals. Badung officials suggest vaccine-based tourism will be able to bring foreign tourists back to the island. They also plan to install COVID-19 screening tools in public facilities, including tourist spots in Badung, while offering airport testing upon arrival.
Head of Badung House of Representatives, Putu Parwata said that Badung Regent requested the central government to reopen the border once the tourism workers in Bali are vaccinated in the near future.
“We’re waiting for further instructions from the central government regarding this program, and we plan to give access only to those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine,” Parwata said.
Badung has also initiated a more strenuous testing method, using a test kit called GeNose made by the medical experts from Gadjah Mada University that was approved by the government.
GeNose offers a quick, easy, and inexpensive method to test travelers entering all the tourism attractions. GeNose takes the sample from each individual by blowing some air into the testing kits, and only costs USD 1.4 (IDR 20,000) per test.
Badung officials plan to implement this method in every mall and grocery store in the Badung area.
“We could put these testing kits at the entrance of every public place to provide early detection. If anybody is confirmed positive with the virus, we could take another step to isolate that individual in order to stop the transmission,” said the appointed Badung Regent, I Wayan Adi Arnawa.
He plans to start the testing method inside Badung central government complex and tourist attractions across the Badung area.
“This is much more effective to provide a quick result to avoid transmission compared to the temperature checking that is currently being implemented in all public places,” Arnawa concluded.
Read Today’s Breaking News Headlines In Bali
For the latest Bali News & Debate Join our Facebook Community
SUBSCRIBE TO NEW POSTS
Enter your email address to subscribe to The Bali Sun’s latest breaking news, straight to your inbox.
Wayan Bo
Thursday 25th of February 2021
Did Indonesia get vaccines through COVAX programme yet.
Kadek Agung Tut
Friday 26th of February 2021
@Wayan Bo, no. Each day maybe 20 or 30 thousand vaxine come. Is just joke to make authority look good by do ‘something’. But not effective. Will take many months maybe years to vacinat even Bali. And vaxin pointless unless most people have.
Kadek Agung Tut
Thursday 25th of February 2021
Not good. This test show very high 30% false postive. If 30 people enter venu maybe 10 show Covid. But may not have Covid. But same time of other 20 - show negative - but may have Covid then spred inside. How this helps at all? Just give false confidence so venu then operate and Covid spred inside. Better stay close until have proper 14 day karentine by law in Bali. Not Jakarta.
Ronald Carter
Tuesday 23rd of February 2021
This is great news I will soon be vaccinated I'm planning on going to Bali in June. That of course if there are any flights. I think a lot of Aussies are going to do the same. If the Bali government could organize with Garuda Airline flights from Australia? This would really be beneficial to everyone. Especially Bali.
Wayan Bo
Thursday 25th of February 2021
@Ronald Carter, Australia is more than very good in fighting COVID-19, therefore it's at least a bit unimaginable that Australia will soon support such tourist acctivitys, especially because vitamins D can get from Australian sun too until pandemic comes to there end.
Christine Bagnall
Tuesday 23rd of February 2021
Yessss! I will be there once I'm vaccinated.
Wayan Bo
Thursday 25th of February 2021
@Christine Bagnall, it doesn't mean that vaccinated persons can't get infected, but mortality can be prevented as well as bad infection symptoms.
Wayan Bo
Tuesday 23rd of February 2021
WHO is against easying travel restrictions for vaccinated travelers, Greece is trying the same for there touristic season this year. - World's Health Organization's President for Europe, Mr Kluge told that he is expecting the end of pandemic in first quarter of next year.