Authorities in Bali have reportedly installed thermal scanners at the airport and prepared masks and antiviral medication as they take measures to be one step ahead of an international outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus.
“At this time, we are coordinating with relevant parties to do early detection, to stop the virus from spreading to Bali,” Bali Tourism Agency’s chief I Putu Astawa said yesterday, as quoted by state news agency Antara.
At least 25 people have died from the SARS-like disease and at least 830 people are known to be infected at this time. Most of the victims are in China, but the virus has spread to a number of other countries, including Thailand and Singapore.
The coronavirus was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan back in December and linked to a now-closed seafood market there. Chinese officials yesterday began shutting transportation links from and within Wuhan, as well as other affected cities in the country, in an attempt to contain the spread of the disease.
Though authorities in Bali don’t seem to be overly concerned of the outbreak just yet, the preventive measures they have taken should serve the island well considering Pulau Dewata welcomes millions of foreign tourists every year. That said, authorities have yet to take extreme measures such as restricting Chinese visitors, but said that they have discussed the possibility with China’s Consul-General in Denpasar.
According to data from Ngurah Rai International Airport, Chinese tourists make up more than a quarter of Bali’s foreign visitors in 2019, with nearly 1.2 million people arriving through the airport.
Scientists have yet to figure out how the virus spreads exactly, but human-to-human transmission of the disease has been confirmed. Symptoms of infection include fever and severe cough, as well as difficulty breathing and shortness of breath. There are currently no drugs approved for the Wuhan coronavirus.
Ketut Suarjaya, who heads the Health Agency in Bali, said that travellers who are detected with abnormal temperatures passing through Ngurah Rai will be subject to further examination.
“If it appears that the passenger is experiencing some kind of lung infection, they will be referred to the Sanglah General Hospital for isolation and a more thorough lab examination,” Suarjaya said.
Reader Interactions