Bali began its Emergency Public Activity Restrictions (Emergency PPKM or PPKM Darurat in Indonesian) on July 3, 2021, following President Joko Widodo’s mandate to stop the spread of COVID-19. Currently, all tourist attractions on the Island of Gods are closed temporarily, and domestic travelers face activity restrictions and tightened conditions for travel.
This has affected Bali’s tourism reactivation programs, including Work from Bali, Bali Reactivation, and Vaccine Tourism in Bali, all of which have been delayed due to the current PPKM policy.
"We will follow the regulations and have strongly urged all tourism and creative economy actors to comply with it, without exception,” states Sandiaga.
Though the tourism and creative economy sectors are facing unfavorable times, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, hopes to reopen tourist destinations in Bali soon. He lists three conditions for Bali’s tourism reactivation: 1) 70%-80% of the population vaccinated against COVID-19, 2) completion of end-to-end CHSE implementation, and 3) less than 100 new COVID-19 cases.
“Preparations for the Reactivation of Tourism Destinations Plan, both at the center and the regional level, must continue," urged the Minister.
Currently, Bali is on track with its vaccination programs, paving the way towards reopening as a tourist destination. Based on Indonesia’s Ministry of Health data as of July 6, 2021, 2,340,341 people on the island have received their first dose of vaccine. This number exceeds the province target by 326.9%. The target for the second COVID-19 vaccination dose has been exceeded by 105.59%. These statistics show significant progress, with Bali ranking high in its vaccination coverage compared to other areas of the country.
Moreover, the vaccination program is developing rapidly, as children in Bali begin to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) and the Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI) have approved the Sinovac vaccine for children aged 12 to 17. They will receive half of the adult dosage, preventing them from critical illness and even death caused by COVID-19.
On Friday, July 2, 2021, the program commenced, with children aged 12 to 17 receiving their first dose of vaccination at Kesdam IX Udayana, Denpasar. This COVID-19 vaccination program will be widespread in Bali from July 5, 2021, targeting thousands of teenagers in middle school and high school. It is hoped that Bali will reach herd immunity through the rapid deployment of the vaccination program.
As Bali continues to implement protective measures in preventing the spread of COVID-19, including implementing stricter CHSE health protocols among its locals and complying with the nation’s PPKM measures, it is anticipated that the Island of Gods will be able to resume its role as a tourist destination in the near future.
Disclaimer: All presented data of the vaccination progress in Bali are based on the Ministry of Health’s data on July 6, 2021, at 12:00 PM. Data on the Ministry of Health’s website is updated daily and may differ from the figures presented in this article.
