Indonesia's Bali opens to int'l visitors for quarantine-free travel

JAKARTA, March 7 (Xinhua) — International travelers who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are allowed to visit the Indonesian resort island of Bali without any quarantine process starting Monday, a senior official said.

International visitors are only required to show proofs of hotel bookings for a minimum of four days and certificates showing negative results of COVID-19, besides having health insurance upon their arrivals on the holiday island, according to Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

“International travelers have to undergo PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests upon entry. After getting negative results, they can be free to do their activities under health protocols,” Pandjaitan told a virtual press conference, adding that on the third day of international tourists’ arrivals, they need to take additional PCR tests at their respective hotels.

If the implementation of this measure is successful in Bali, the quarantine-free policy will be carried out throughout Indonesia starting April 1, he said.

Currently, the number of COVID-19 transmissions in this Southeast Asian country is showing a downward trend, except for five provinces, namely Aceh, East Nusa Tenggara, Central Sulawesi, Gorontalo, and North Kalimantan.