The Indonesian island will tighten sanctions against foreigners who violate sanitary rules during New Year’s celebrations.
Party-goers on the tourist island of Bali, Indonesia, are warned: Any foreigner caught breaking sanitary rules during New Year’s celebrations will be kicked out of the country, authorities said on Thursday. “Be prepared to get firedBali Immigration Bureau Chief Jamaruli Manihuruk told AFP of potential offenders, stressing the dangers posed by the highly contagious new variant Omicron.
The governor of the island has banned fireworks, balls and gatherings of more than fifty people during the Christmas and New Year period. Shopping centers, bars and restaurants can only operate at 75% of their capacity and must close by 10 p.m. at the latest.
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200 tourists deported in 2021
According to Mr. Manihuruk, around 200 tourists were expelled from Bali in 2021, including seven for violating health rules such as the obligation to wear a mask. Last May, a couple made up of a Russian influencer and a Taiwanese YouTuber were notably driven from the island after causing a scandal in Indonesia with a video in which the young woman was walking in Bali with a mask painted on the face.
Indonesia has been severely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 144,000 people, including more than 4,000 in the island of Bali alone. A total of 68 cases of Omicron variant contamination have been identified so far in the country, according to official data. Last October, Bali reopened its borders to tourists from around 20 countries, including France, while imposing drastic entry conditions.
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