visitors flocking to closed beaches in canggu despite temporary closure

Category : Adventure | Posted On Jun 08, 2020

Despite the lock down and temporary closure of the tourist places and beaches, it is noticed that people are nowl flocking to the beaches of Canggu. There have been multiple reports of visitors jumping the barriers or going through the bushes to reach the beaches.
“People have been flocking to the beach, we along with village officials are still not allowing them to access the beach and we’ve been telling them to go back home,” I Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara, who heads the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) in Badung
“But what happens is they would be going [to the beach] very early and through various entry points, including jumping over walls or through the nearby restaurants and stalls, through the stream or bushes, and we can only tell them to go back without giving them any sanctions.
”Many pictures have been circulating on social media of people walking, surfing and lounging on the beaches of Canggu. This shows an unrealistic picture of something that one may seen before the pandemic.

All tourist attractions in Badung, including the beaches have been temporary closed since late March to curb and flatten the curve of Covid-19 in Bali. Local Government announced the third phase of temporary closure and it was scheduled till May 29 or depending on the improvement of covid-19 situation in the province. Badung Agency officials have yet to announce any new dates regarding the closure.

However last Monday it was told to the media that Labuan Sait and Canggu beaches are open to foreign tourists for surfing by Head of Badung’s Tourism Agency I Made Badra.

Badra said foreigners cited mental health concerns after staying at home for the past few months. 

“They are stressed out from being at home the past three months. So we are loosening [the restrictions] a little, but they have to adhere to protocols by passing through the monitoring posts in those two locations,” he said.

This confirmation from an official may have been the trigger point of the recent beach visitations despite the fact that Badra stated that other activities such as sunbathing or going on a leisurely walk –– are still not permitted. 

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