2 Million Balinese will Receive COVID-19 Vaccination by July 2021

Indonesia is preparing for the implementation of a tourism recovery plan with Bali as the springboard for the rest of the country. Preparations have been running steadily to support the return of international tourists to Bali.

A key highlight is the COVID-19 vaccination program in Bali, which has been underway since 22 March 2021. The vaccination program prioritizes health and tourism business workers in three green zones assigned by the government: Ubud, Sanur, and Nusa Dua.

Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, predicted that the vaccination program will create herd immunity in Bali by the end of July 2021. "Currently we are striving to vaccinate 1,8 - 2 million people. It is expected that we can add 1 million more people from April to May, so that herd immunity will be achieved by the end of July," said Luhut in a press release, quoted at the end of March(31/3/2021).

The Ministry of Health has also been working in collaboration with Grab and Good Doctor to undertake a drive-thru based vaccination program in Bali. On 8 March 2021, it was estimated that 5,000 people had been vaccinated through this program, 1,000 of whom are Grab taxi drivers in Bali.

By 1 April 2021, approximately 9,475 tourism business workers in three green zones in Bali had received COVID-19 vaccines. It is also reported that on 7 April, 271,900 further doses of Sinovac vaccine arrived in Bali from the central government, to support the acceleration of the COVID-19 vaccination program. Currently, the vaccination program in Ubud, Sanur, and Nusa Dua has reached almost 100% of target uptake.

Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, states that the vaccination program in Indonesia ranks 8th highest on number of receivers, based on Bloomberg data.

However, it must be noted that even after the vaccination target has been reached, health protocols will continue to be strictly implemented, to prevent further unwanted risk. It is reported that approximately 1,006 tourism stakeholders in Bali (hotels and non-hotels, including restaurants, homestay villas, nature tourism sites, shopping centers, transportation services, and diving tours) have been granted InDOnesia CARE certification by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy. An additional 855 businesses are targeted to receive this same certification by the end of 2021, guaranteeing they have achieved the required standard for health protocol implementation.

The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, along with related parties, has been actively preparing for the tourism recovery plan in Bali by prioritizing the convenience of future visitors. InDOnesia CARE is working hard to welcome visitors back to experience the beauty of Bali, while also ensuring the wellbeing of travelers.