Getting Through Tough Times with Positivity and Community in Bali
There is no doubt that the tourism industry has been hit very hard by the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. Many nations and regions rely on tourism and have struggled since the global lockdown. Some resorts have however found a way to stay positive and use the enforced downtime as best they can. One such resort is Lotus Bungalows Candidasa in Bali.
Bali, and Indonesia, in general, have been very lucky during the coronavirus pandemic. Many foreigners left Bali in March thinking there would be a tidal wave of cases. However, so far there have been very few cases compared to Jakarta and other places in Asia and the number of new cases is declining daily. In fact, Bali’s government and local village lawmakers have been applauded for their handling of the pandemic. Many villages have set up hand washing stations, been active in stopping people travelling around, and have done well disseminating health and hygiene information.
Testing for Covid-19 started out slowly on the island but has since been ramped up with specialist labs being set up to deal with larger numbers of tests. It’s possible to get tested at 11 government hospitals in Bali that have been prepared to deal with Covid-19 patients. Thankfully, so far they have not been inundated with large numbers of patients.
Unfortunately, the island of Bali has been hit hard by the loss of the tourism industry due to travel restrictions in Indonesia and worldwide. Many people have lost their jobs and are struggling to feed their families. However, Lotus Bungalows Candidasa management decided to keep the hotel open and have staff working shifts equaling 15 days a month. We’ve found this to be a good compromise for the staff and management.
Since our last guest checked out on March 23rd, we have been disinfecting the rooms, public areas, kitchen, and restaurant. Hand sanitizer has been placed in the lobby and restaurant and the staff was briefed on the best practices for hand washing, distancing, and keeping their immune systems strong. We are also encouraging them to implement these practices at home with their families and to share the information within their neighbours and friends.
Bali’s tourism department has said they hope to slowly open the island to tourists from selected countries from June, and to be completely open in October. We are hopeful that this can happen with proper precautions and if people continue to use healthy hygiene practices.
As soon as we have information the Indonesia’s ban on visas-on-arrival has been lifted, we will let you know. We look forward to being back in full swing at Lotus Bungalows Candidasa and to welcome our wonderful guests back to the hotel.
Photo Credit: Lotus Bungalows Candidasa
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