Bali delays reopening to foreign tourists following rise in COVID-19 cases
Anyone hoping to visit the popular Indonesian holiday island of Bali will have to wait a little longer, with foreign tourists still banned from entry for the foreseeable future due to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
Earlier this month, Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno had suggested some tourists could be welcomed back as early as July 2021. Unfortunately, the island has seen a recent increase in positive cases, and that date has now been delayed until cases decline significantly. This comes despite very low testing rates, which could mean true cases are significantly higher.
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“We were targeting end of July, beginning of August, but we just have to be mindful of where we are in this recent spike (in coronavirus cases),” Uno said to Reuters. “We will be waiting for the situation to be more conducive.”
Currently, there are about 200 cases per day. Uno said that he wanted to wait until daily cases decreased to 30 or 40 before reopening to tourism.
Bali closed the doors to tourists early on in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, and Bali’s governor commented in May 2020 that “a lot of people were very worried that Bali would be badly hit by COVID-19 as it’s the largest tourist destination in Indonesia.”
The island has seen an impressive vaccination rollout already, with more than 70% of locals having already received their first dose, and the same number expected to receive their second dose by the end of July 2021.
Anyone traveling domestically within Indonesia must provide a negative PCR test result before entering Bali in an effort to slow imported cases.
Bali has long been a magnet for all sorts of travelers and has been boosted with dreamy wanderlust images appearing on social media. Its affordable location in southeast Asia has made the island popular with backpackers and budget travelers, and its focus on yoga and other health retreats also attract those looking for wellness and balance in their travels.
Related: Happy birthday to me: a review of Amankila in Bali, Indonesia
Digital nomads could soon be offered five-year Balinese working visas to attract those who see remote working as a permanent pandemic change.
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The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
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Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
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- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
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- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023