DENPASAR – Deputy Governor of Bali Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati (Cok Ace) said that Bali is ready to receive foreign tourist visits on 11 September. This he conveyed during a Hotel Security System meeting with a entourage from POLRI led directly by Police Brigadier General Hari Prasodjo, Director of Pamovit Baharkam Police Headquarters, in the Praja Sabha meeting room, Bali Governor’s Office, Denpasar, Wednesday (5/8/2020).
According to him, the New Era of Life Order Protocol in the tourism sector regulates tourism management in detail with strict health protocols. “The Provincial Government of Bali through the Tourism Office is conducting verification on the accommodation business, tourist destinations, transportation, restaurants, etc. that have met the standards. I hope Bali will be 100 percent ready before full reopening of tourism in early September, “he explained.
Deputy Governor Cok Ace also said that the Bali Provincial Government is fully committed to making various efforts both to prevent the spread of positive cases of COVID-19 and to increase the recovery ratio. “Prevention efforts that we have carried out so far have shown improved results. According to the statistical data of the Bali Province COVID-19 task force team as of August 3, 2020 the cure rate of positive COVID-19 patients in Bali Province was 85.7%, “he added at the meeting which was also attended by the Head of the Tourism Office Putu Astawa, as well as representatives from tourism association in Bali.
Although the number of positive cases in Bali is still increasing, he added that the number of recovered patients continues to increase. This performance was supported by various parties ranging from the government, private sector, to the local community. “Bali is also supported by qualified medical personnel and adequate health facilities. The government has appointed 14 referral hospitals throughout Bali and 8 labs capable of conducting PCR / swab tests, “he said.
Covid-19 has caused Bali to suffer losses of up to IDR 9.7 trillion every month since the pandemic took place. As a major tourist destination, the economy of Bali was affected. BI data shows Bali’s economic growth is minus 1.14 percent. “Even the number of tourist visits to Bali dropped dramatically to 99.99 percent for the month of June 2020,” he added. For this reason, he felt it was time for Bali to prepare as well as possible to rebuild the economy of Bali, especially in the tourism sector as the leading sector in Bali.
Building tourism in Bali after the pandemic is not an easy thing. However, the tourism figure also believes that where there are challenges there are also opportunities. “Bali has been known as a major world tourist destination. There are so many people out there who long to feel the natural beauty and culture of Bali again. “We can achieve this opportunity as long as we can ensure that tourists visiting Bali get a feeling of security from the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus,” he said.
Meanwhile Brigadier General Hari Prasodjo stated that the Indonesian Police were present and fully support all government steps in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. “In the National Police the energy has also been directed to the handling of this pandemic, as well as helping you to educate the public on the importance of health protocols,” he explained.
Until now, he admitted that many police personnel were also exposed to this virus. However, he stressed this was a form of institutional responsibility to the Indonesian nation and society. “For now, our focus is indeed on the health of citizens first, but we also do not close our eyes to continue managing the economy. It is like we want all citizens to be healthy but also do not want other communities not to eat, “he explained.
Regarding the main tasks and functions, Brigadier General Hari Prasodjo stated, if the field is indeed dealing with security against tourism. He admitted that he welcomed the government’s plan to open tourism for foreign tourists on September 11. “There are four regions to be opened namely Bali, Bintan, Belitung and Banyuwangi. I have visited and checked the readiness of the health protocol and I am sure the preparations in the four regions have been optimal, “he explained.
He also appreciated the steps of the Bali Provincial Government in handling the Covid-19 pandemic so far. According to him, this can be seen from the high cure rate and the low death rate. “This is of course due to the joint efforts of all components, both the government and the community as well. This cooperation must be maintained, “he said.***
Editor – Igo Kleden
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