Bali will be turning away travelers coming from COVID-19 red zones in Indonesia following President Joko Widodo’s move to ban the mudik homecoming exodus this year to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Tourism players say Bali stands to lose US$9 billion as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the recorded decline of foreign tourist arrivals nears 100 percent this month, potentially making the island one of the hardest-hit regions in Indonesia.

A prosecutor in Denpasar yesterday demanded a 45-year-old Swiss national, who allegedly smuggled around 30 grams of marijuana into Bali last year, be sentenced to 10 years in prison. 

In a trial held yesterday via teleconference, prosecutor I Made Dipa Umbara said that the foreigner, identified by his initials RH, was guilty of smuggling drugs and should be sentenced according to Article 113 of Indonesia’s 2009 Narcotics Law, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Tourist destinations across Badung regency, including beaches, are still closed until at least May 29. But that certainly hasn’t stopped some people from ignoring the closures, as seen in one video that gained traction online today.

More than 5,000 foreign tourists were still in Bali and left the island just this month as the global COVID-19 pandemic continues, according to the latest official data. 

I Putu Surya Dharma, a spokesperson from the regional office for the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, told state news agency Antarathat 5,264 foreign nationals from 95 countries departed from the Ngurah Rai International Airport, citing data recorded between April 1 and 20.