Bali Begins To Reopen To Locals, Stranded Tourists After 3-Month Virus Lockdown

Reporter Rosyn Park ㅣ 2020-07-09 17:35

Security guards prepare for the reopening of Kuta Beach in Bali, Indonesia after a three-month virus lockdown.

Indonesia's resort island of Bali has reopened after a three-month coronavirus lockdown, allowing locals and stranded foreign tourists to resume public activities.

The local government on Thursday began lifting limits first implemented in early April, which closed the airport, all shops, bars and public swimming pools among other places.

According to the AP, Bali Governor Wayan Koster told a news conference the island will gradually reopen shuttered businesses before Indonesians from other parts of the country are allowed back on July 31 and new foreign arrivals on September 11.

However, he stressed people will still face stringent rules in hotels, restaurants and on beaches, warning that certain areas may close again if infections spike.

Koster said, "We have to revive economic activity to prevent Bali from new social problems due to increasing economic pressures."

Tourism is the island's main source of income.

Government data showed the occupancy rate at Bali's starred hotels plunged to 2.07 percent in May from 62.5 percent in December, before the outbreak hit.

Bali has recorded more than 1,900 cases of COVID-19, including 25 deaths.

Indonesia has confirmed more than 68,000 cases and 3,359 fatalities, the most in Southeast Asia.

<Photo: Yonhap News>