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Indonesia’s Bali becomes coronavirus hideout for foreigners amid pandemic
- More than 900 foreigners, the bulk of them Chinese nationals, have sought permits to stay on the island since travel restrictions were imposed
- Indonesia has the highest coronavirus death toll of any Southeast Asian country, and cases in Bali, while still lower than Jakarta, seem to be rising
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When Chinese tourist Jingjing Zang arrived in the Indonesian holiday island of Bali last August for a scuba diving course, the 28-year-old did not expect to be stuck there almost a year later after a pandemic had closed borders and caused massive disruption to global travel.
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The English teacher from Beijing initially entered the country visa-free, which Chinese passport holders can do for 30 days, with the occasional visit to neighbouring Malaysia or Singapore before the coronavirus hit to renew her stay.
Now she remains in Bali thanks to an emergency stay permit issued by the local immigration office, living with her boyfriend in a private villa in Canggu, southern Bali, for 13 million rupiah (US$933) per month.
“I don’t have any concerns about safety in Bali,” Zang said, “I wake up at seven [in the morning] every day, feeling blissful for what I have right here.”
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For some Indonesia-based expats and tourists visiting the country, Bali has become a hideout during the coronavirus pandemic.
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