I'm a member of a few groups for digital nomads and expats around Asia etc. Now some of these groups are literally trying to suppress information on the pandemic (which it technically really is at this point). A report about the fact that Bali has so far only tested a total of 35 people and actually has no labs to test for the virus on the island itself, but has to send tests to Jakarta, was just BANNED from Facebook's Bali Expats group.
Another Bali group - also run by expats - has banned ALL coronavirus related posts. You're literally not allowed to spread awareness about the situation. All this while several travelers have now tested positive after visiting Bali, an island that gets well over 8 million tourists a year, out of which 1.2 million come from China. There were direct flights from Wuhan until the quarantine was put in place, and from several other Chinese cities until the 5th of February. Italians are crossing the border every day, and from what I can see, not a single Italian on the island has been tested, even now that we know that Italy has become a mass distributor of COVID-19 (most confirmed cases in India are even connected to Italy).
And Bali is in NO shape or form equipped to handle a major outbreak. Not even close. That goes for the rest of Indonesia as well (Bali is probably one of the better places in the country). The authorities have also done their best to reassure everyone that Bali is "coronavirus free" (even before a single test had been done on anyone) and the Bali Tourism Board even went so far as to claim the whole thing was a hoax anyway. This obviously lulls a lot of people into a false sense of security, stops them from taking necessary precautions to protect themselves and others, and increases the risk of an epidemic taking hold in the country.
But you're not allowed to talk about it.
Insanity has struck.
