Bali Opens Vaccination Clinic In Airport Terminal

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As of the 17th of July, Indonesian citizens will need to show proof of a booster vaccination to travel by air either internationally or domestically. In light of this, there are booster vaccination clinics opening up across the island in strategic locations. This week authorities opened a booster vaccination clinic at the domestic terminal at Ngurah Rai Airport.

The facility has been opened to help travelers meet the new travel requirements. Indonesian travelers must show proof of a booster vaccine before boarding their flight. If they have only recently completed their second dose they can show a negative rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours of their upcoming flight.

The latest travel requirements are only for Indonesian travelers. International citizens visiting Indonesia, including Bali, only need to show proof of their completed course of Covid-19 vaccinations at this stage. Travelers who have been fully vaccinated do not need a PCR test before they fly. 

The changing Covid-19 mandate that does affect international travelers is the relaunch of the mask mandate in crowded outdoor settings. All people in Bali must now wear a mask in crowded outdoor areas including beaches, parks, and busy streets.

The mandate for wearing masks in indoor public settings remains in place too. Masks must also be worn in indoor public settings including shops, communal hotel facilities, cafes, malls, and on public transport.

The General Manager of PT Angkasa Pura I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Handy Heryudhitiawan spoke to local reporters in Bali about the new booster clinic at the domestic terminal. He explained how the vaccine stations are open from 9 am until 3 pm. The service is being provided by the Denpasar Class I Port Health Office and the airport stakeholders. 

Heryudhitiawan said that the service is in place to help get Bali citizens fully vaccinated and therefore less at risk of Covid-19 complications. He explained how the service is also there to support the regional government in hitting vaccine targets. Bali has consistently been in the top three most successful vaccination areas in all of Indonesia.

Though in recent weeks uptake of the vaccine has slowed down. Authorities are concerned that with caseloads rising across Bali, efforts to encourage people to continue to take the pandemic seriously need to be renewed.

Speaking to the local media Heryudhitiawan said that ‘this vaccine booth is to accommodate service users who want to travel, but do not yet have a complete vaccine’. The strategic placement of the vaccine clinic at the airport acts as a catch-all for travelers who have been unable to finish their first course of the vaccine and get their booster if enough time has passed since their second dose.

The reason for placing the vaccine clinic at the domestic terminal is due to the high flow of traffic the area receives. Indonesian citizens who are traveling through the international terminal and are in need of their booster vaccine easily nip across to the domestic terminal before they fly. 

The booster vaccine campaign is being rolled out across Bali, with a special focus on rural and vulnerable communities. This week a partnership between NGOs Save the Children and IDEP Foundation with Indonesian Health Security Partnership has been launched to establish mobile vaccine clinics in six villages across Buleleng, Karangasem, and Jembrana regencies.

The campaign is targeted at supporting elderly and vulnerable people in these communities who have not yet completed their vaccine treatment and increasing the uptake of the booster vaccine in the working population.

During a press conference about the partnership, held on Tuesday afternoon, Bernando Halauwet the Quality Control Officer for the IDEP Foundation explained how vaccination programs in Bali must include outreach to marginalized communities who have little access to healthcare and health education.

He explained ‘From the three districts, there are 6,199 people identified as marginalized such as the elderly, disabled, and others for which we have obtained data’. The campaign will run until the end of the year.