Quarantine-free plan for Bali tourists to launch one week early

Manila

INDONESIA will allow quarantine-free entry for foreigners travelling to Bali starting Mar 7, bringing forward the plan by a week.

Visitors from 23 countries, including the US, UK and Australia, can get a visa on arrival as long as they are fully vaccinated and test negative for Covid-19 prior to departure, Bali governor Wayan Koster said in a notice last Friday (Mar 4). They will be tested again upon arrival on the island, with those positive for the virus required to isolate in a hotel or hospital until a follow-up swab on the third day. They must also have health insurance with Covid-19 coverage.

South-east Asia's biggest economy is gradually easing curbs, following some other countries in the region in preparing to live with the coronavirus even as infections continue to spread nationwide.

Indonesia is accelerating its vaccination campaign by shortening the gap between the second dose and a booster dose to three months from six. Bali's local government is accelerating its booster programme to reach at least 30 per cent of its population by the time tourists can enter without having to quarantine. BLOOMBERG

READ MORE: Bali welcomes first foreign tourists after Covid quarantine rule lifted