Indonesia's popular tourist destination Bali has postponed its plans to reopen to international visitors by September and will instead remain closed until at least the end of the year.
Key points:
The official number of coronavirus cases in Indonesia is 157,800
Many Balinese have lost their jobs in the island's vital tourism sector
Many unemployed Balinese are returning to their villages to do agricultural work
With COVID-19 largely spreading unchecked a mere 2.4 kilometres across the sea in neighbouring Java, Bali's Governor decided that despite the island's heavy reliance on tourism, it was too early to reopen.
The decision comes as the number of coronavirus cases in Indonesia continues to rise, officially standing at 157,800 cases and 6,800 deaths on Wednesday, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. However the true figure is likely to be much higher.
"We cannot open the gate to international travellers until the end of 2020 as the situation in Indonesia, including Bali, is not yet safe to welcome them," Bali's Governor Wayan Koster said in a statement last Saturday.
Domestic travellers have been allowed to visit the island since the end of last month, however it has been closed to international visitors since April.
