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Bali tightens entry rules for tourists, ditches GeNose tests
Passing a GeNose breathalyzer test is no longer sufficient for tourists to enter Bali, Governor I Wayan Koster has said.
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An airport official checks the body temperature of passengers at the domestic terminal of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali on March 10, 2020. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono)
T
he Bali administration has issued a circular stating that domestic tourists may only enter the province after obtaining a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or antigen swab test. The requirement applies even to those who are vaccinated.
The letter was issued as part of Bali's public activity restrictions (PPKM) enforced amid rising case numbers on the island and across the country. Bali has recently logged some 200 new COVID-19 cases a day, up from only 40 new daily cases in late May, according to government data.
“We are tightening requirements for domestic tourists coming to Bali. We only accept PCR and antigen tests, [not] GeNose tests. This regulation will come into effect on Wednesday,” Bali Governor I Wayan Koster said during an online press briefing on Monday.
GeNose, a locally developed COVID-19 breathalyzer, has been used at 21 airports, including Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, since April.
Tests with the breathalyzer are cheaper, less invasive and produce quicker results than PCR tests. However, GeNose trial data has not been published in any peer-reviewed scientific journal, which has prompted concerns from medical experts.
Read also: Government rolls out GeNose screening test at 21 airports
