200 Thousand People Come To Bali In 10 Days, Luhut: Like It Or Not, They Have To Be Tightened

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. (Photo: Instagram @ luhut, pandjaitan)

JAKARTA - The government has tightened the rules for entering travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially related to health protocols. The tightening is a form of government anticipation to prevent an increase in COVID-19 cases.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said there were more than 200 thousand people coming to Bali in 10 days, so tightening steps must be taken inevitably.

"Yesterday we wanted to go to Bali, there were more than 200 thousand people for 10 days. Now we will give it a little. Because if not, how about it. Bali will rise again. Now Bali is relatively very good," he told reporters, Friday, December 18.

According to Luhut, people still ignore the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, for the New Year holidays the government must take concrete steps for prevention. This is also reflected in the long holiday last October which had made active cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia rise.

Moreover, said Luhut, the movement of domestic tourists has almost touched 85 percent. "We control everything now, we reduce it first so that it won't be too fast, it will actually be dangerous. If it is opened, there will be no discipline, the cases will definitely rise again so it must be understood," he said.

As is known, the government requires road trips to Bali to carry out a rapid antigen test on D-2 or 2x24 hours before departure.

Meanwhile, airplane passengers to Bali are required to take a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) swab test on D-2 before departure.

This rule was also welcomed by the Bali Regional Government with the Circular of the Governor of Bali Number 2021 of 2020 from 19 December from 18 December 2020. Attachment of PCR test results is attached D-7 before departure.