Indonesia warily weighs holiday travel with virus concerns

Indonesians are looking ahead warily toward the holiday travel season, anxious for crucial tourist spending but worried an influx of visitors could spread the coronavirus just as its pandemic situation seems to be subsiding

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesians are looking ahead warily toward the holiday travel season, anxious for crucial tourist spending but worried an influx of visitors could spread the coronavirus just as its pandemic situation seems to be subsiding.

After seeing infection and death rates soar in July and August, officials said this week they are sticking to plans to allow travel with some limitations. They expect nearly 20 million people to vacation in the popular islands of Java and Bali.

The archipelago nation with the world’s fourth highest population has seen dramatic improvements since the devastating midyear months, but its vaccination rollout is lagging behind most others in Southeast Asia. Experts also question whether the official figures tell the true story, saying there is evidence many COVID-19 cases are going undetected and unreported, suggesting widespread travel could cause a resurgence.

“There is some progression in terms of number of cases and, of course, in mortality, but what the government reports doesn’t always represent or reflect the real situation in communities,” said Dicky Budiman, an Indonesian epidemiologist and academic adviser to the government.