According to officials in Bali, tourists are the main scofflaws when it comes to wearing masks to prevent the transmission of the COVID virus. And since fines and threats of deportation weren’t working, they came up with a unique way to get people to pay attention. (Euronews reports that 90% of COVID-19 violations in Bali stem from tourists.)
Now, you’d better mask-up in public in Bali or either be subject to a $7 fine or, if you can’t pay, up to 50 push-ups. That push-up number is reduced to 15 for people wearing the mask improperly.
“Respect for the wearing of the mask by foreign tourists is very low,” one law enforcement officer noted. “First they say they didn’t know the law, then they say that they forgot, that their mask is wet or damaged.”
Meanwhile, 95% of locals are good about wearing masks and maintaining social distance. As one local put it, not wearing masks during the pandemic shows how outsiders do not ‘respect local culture.’
“Even before the pandemic we have already seen many foreign tourists, particularly the young ones not following the rules, such as riding bikes without helmets or getting drunk and then involved in brawls on the streets,” Ms Astika said.
Make like a local and mask up.