Kuta Beach lock down and spraying the roads with disinfectant

Image: Kuta Beach acccess points blocked to the public. Credit: Nich S.

Kuta Beach has been totally closed till further notice since Friday (27/3) midday, in an effort to stop the spread of Covid-19 (Corona virus).

The closure of Kuta Beach was made by installing fences at all access points in and out of the beach. The Kuta Beach Security Task Force mobilized dozens of staff to install fences on Friday afternoon. The fences used to close the access to Kuta Beach are made of bamboo and wood. Before being fenced off, Kuta Beach was first emptied of visitors.

The Chairman of the Kuta Beach Security Task Force, I Wayan Sirna, explained that the total closure was made to anticipate the spread of the Corona virus. “The closure of Kuta Beach was enforced directly by Bendesa Adat Kuta,” explained Wayan Sirna to NusaBali.

According to Sirna, there are about 40 access points in and out of Kuta Beach which have been blocked. Thus, now there is no more access in and out of the 4 kilometer long tourist beach. Likewise, the activities of tourists, traders and other communities in the area have practically stopped completely.

This, according to Bendesa Adat Kuta’s I Wayan Wasista, is in aid of the government’s call to temporarily close all tourist attractions in Bali. “So, we totally closed Kuta Beach for a while,” explained Wayan Wasista. (It is not stated for how long. Ed)

Wasista also said it is not only activity on Kuta Beach that was totally closed. All potential activities for gathering people are also temporarily stopped, including discotheques. “All this is done to support the government’s efforts to prevent and overcome the spread of Covid-19,” said Wasista.

Meanwhile, Bali Police Mobile Brigade Unit sprayed disinfectants along Jalan WR Supratman Denpasar, Friday morning. The spraying of chemical liquids using a Bali Police Mobile Brigade Water Canon truck was done since 9am in the morning using 5,000 liters of disinfectant liquid.

Badung Police also sprayed disinfectants in the area of ​​Tibueneneng, Berawa an activity that involved the Badung Co-19 Task Force in Badung Regency together with related agencies, using another Brimob water cannon truck with a capacity of 6,000 liters.

The chemical liquid was sprayed on the roads and footpaths starting from the Berawa field to the Padonan-Berawa Intersection. Yesterday’s disinfectant spraying was led directly by Badung Police Chief Commissioner Roby Septiadi.

“Let’s deal with the Covid-19 outbreak. I hope that what we are doing can suppress or break the Covid-19 outbreak chain, so that tourism in Bali will soon be back to normal,” said Commissioner Septiadi. “The security forces from the Badung Regional Police and the TNI have already appealed to the local residents. If the appeal is not heeded, sorry we will disband the community activities,” he added.