Bali officials have planned to reopen the international travel corridor for 4 countries once the border reopens in the near future.

Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati (Cok Ace), the Vice Governor of Bali, confirmed that in response to the latest statement from the central government about the reopening plan on October 2021, the Bali provincial government has begun their preparation stages, including selecting several countries that will be welcomed to visit the island once the border reopens in the near future.

“We have chosen a number of nations, including Russia, the United States, Germany, and England, to begin implementing the travel bubble program depending on their length of stay in Bali. And guests from those nations often stay on the island for two weeks.” On Monday (27/9), Cok Ace stated.

He explained that this choice was based on a national government policy to anticipate Covid-19 transmissions from other countries that are still unable to handle the pandemic adequately. Cok Ace also said that Bali is now ready to accommodate international visitors because the bulk of the island's population has been immunized. “According to latest data, approximately 97 percent of Bali residents have got their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination, with 75 percent completing the second dosage. The immunization program is likely to be completed in early October.” Cok Ace stated.

Aside from that, Bali has prepared 62 hospitals to handle Covid-19 patients, as well as 25 laboratories to do PCR tests, with the capacity to test approximately 4,000 people every day. Meanwhile, the province administration has planned three possible schemes that might be adopted depending on the circumstances, such as:

·  Allowing tourist to access all the areas on the island if Covid-19 transmission is properly handled

·  Allowing tourist to access the appointed green zone areas if Covid-19 cases begin to surge

·  Reducing the mobility of the tourist inside green zone areas if Covid-19 cases keep on surging

“Before reopening our border, we also need to prepare for the worst scenario to prevent Covid-19 transmissions to surge like in Singapore.” Cok Ace concluded.