Foreigners rebuked for surfing in Bali despite social distancing advisory
Local authorities in Bali’s Klungkung regency said they rebuked at least 17 foreign nationals who went surfing at the local beaches over the weekend, noting that the areas have been closed off to curb the spread of COVID-19 on the island.
“We told these foreigners that they are not allowed to surf, and we asked them to return to their places of stay,” Putu Suarta, who heads the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) in Klungkung, told Kumparan today.
Suarta added that Satpol PP has been going on regular patrols across tourist hotspots in the area to ensure that both local residents and foreigners are obeying the official advisories with regards to COVID-19. He explained that the prohibition on surfing has been laid out on banners put up in the area.
On April 1, Bali Governor Wayan Koster issued an official instruction mandating the closure of tourist destinations across the island and limiting any event or activity that may involve large crowds. While there are no specific instructions for surfing, it seems that at least for the time being, officials will not tolerate any activity that takes place on the beach.
Suarta said that the foreign surfers were at Watu Klotok and Batu Tumpeng beaches, and told authorities they were either from Australia or Morocco. None of them were apprehended.
Other reports of foreigners disregarding social distancing advisory also made headlines today, after videos of a group partying last night went viral on social media, sparking outrage from Indonesian netizens.
The challenges to enforce social distancing measures seem to be pretty widespread in Bali, with local residents also appearing to have ignored official calls to stay at home. For example, a video taken in Renon, Denpasar over the weekend showed a crowd gathering at a local park, sitting around in groups and exercising.
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