Corona Update

Bali Extends the Seventh Partial Lockdown (PPKM Level 3) to 4 October, Bali International Airport has not Officially Open yet

23 September 2021

As has been declared by the Indonesian authority earlier, the government will continue to implement Partial Lockdown or PPKM until Covid-19 completely disappears from the country. Therefore, the latest PPKM Level 3 in Bali has finally been extended to 4 October 2021.

The development of cases in Indonesia continues to show significant improvements. It can be seen from the declining trend of national confirmation cases and increasing recovery rates compared to the peak point in July 2021 after the Delta variant managed to devastate the country.

The Bali Provincial Government has successfully given the first jab of Covid-19 vaccines to 3,287,222 people, and 2,460,263 were fully vaccinated. More than 96% of the targeted population in Bali (ca. 3.4 million people) have received their first shot, and more than 72% have received their second jab. Leaving only about 117,908 people to receive their first immunisation. Bali authority predicts to have all of its targeted population fully vaccinated by the end of October 2021. This data is per today, 22 September 2021, 12:00 (Western Indonesian Time).

As the situation shows great progress, however, Bali International Airport is not officially open yet for international arrival. Though many media have been speculating over the past few days with false news about the airport’s reopening, the spokesperson from the Ministry of Transportation, Adita Irawati, confirmed that currently there are only two entrances for international flights, Soekarno Hatta Airport in Jakarta (please note Jakarta is the only international airport opens for international arrivals providing the mandatory quarantine for travellers heading to Bali and other regions in the country) and Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado (international travellers can not fly yet directly to Manado unless their countries of origin have special agreement with Indonesian authorities).

The regulation for international travellers has also loosened up a bit since last week. Before the restriction, foreigners needed to provide PCR tests for visa applications; now, the applicants only need a passport and full vaccination card in English to apply for a business visa. If you are interested in coming to Bali, read carefully here all the steps to visit Bali & Indonesia.

Even though you have been fully vaccinated and got your visa application approved, once you arrive in Jakarta, you must go through 7 nights & 8 days of mandatory quarantine before continuing your journey to other regions within Indonesia. Also discover our selection of recommended hotels to stay in during this period

Though the idea of creating a quarantine package in Bali (instead of Jakarta) have been circulating since last year, Bali officials are still working closely with the central government to make this happen. Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, proposed a new concept regarding implementing quarantine in Bali. According to the minister, international visitors going through quarantine sessions should not just be stuck in a hotel room.

They shall be able to go out in a hotel or resort area freely. But this concept can be only be conceptualised when Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport reopens to start receiving international flights. “If Bali airport opens for direct international flights, we are currently preparing a concept for quarantine that is no longer limit guests to just stay in the room. However, activities with strict health protocols are allowed in designated resorts area,” explained Sandiaga Uno in a video uploaded to his social media account @sandiuno on Tuesday (21/9).