KARANGASEM, Indonesia (Reuters) – Bali carried out mass prayers on Sunday as the Indonesian resort island prepares to reopen to travelers shut out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than a thousand people participated in a prayer at Besakih Hindu temple in the town of Karangasem, expressing gratitude for the handling of the brand-new coronavirus on the island and seeking blessings for the start of a “brand-new regular”.
Bali has reported 1,849 coronavirus infections and 20 deaths so far, while Indonesia as a whole has actually tape-recorded 63,749 cases and 3,171 deaths considering that early March.
The idyllic Southeast Asian island will gradually reopen this month for domestic travelers, while maintaining a “stringent health procedure” to prevent the spread of the virus that triggers COVID-19, Bali provincial secretary Dewa Made Indra told reporters.
The city government anticipates to reopen Bali to foreign arrivals in September.
Tourism is Balis primary source of income. Travel limitations due to the pandemic have actually hammered the regional economy.
The tenancy rate at Balis starred hotels plunged to 2.07% in May, according to Bali data bureau information, from 62.55% in December prior to the pandemic hit and below 51.56% in May 2019.” What I hope is the very best for Bali and … all the travelers will come to Bali and everybody will be happy and healthy once again,” Robin Tesselar, a Dutch person staying in Bali, informed Reuters after going to the Besakih prayers.
Tourism-related services are preparing to for the reopening by executing the health protocols, intending to enhance them up until Bali resumes for worldwide tourists, said hospitality executive Yoga Iswara.
Reporting by Sultan Anshori in Karansem; Additional reporting by Fransiska Nangoy in Jakarta; Editing by William Mallard
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