4,440 Bali residents will be offered free tours and staycations at the island as Indonesia plans to launch a seven-week tourism preparedness trial.

'New Normal Bali' plan

According to Reuters, the residents will have to promote the holiday destinations on their social media and test out the Covid-19 protocols that are put in place.

Separated into 12 groups, they will be given two-night stays at Bali resorts between Oct. 7 and Nov. 27.

According to Bisnis, those that are chosen will have to be active on social media.

They must have over 2,000 followers and prefer outdoor activities.

This 'New Normal Bali' plan was announced on Sep. 24, when Indonesia reported 4,634 new Covid-19 cases.

It's the country's biggest daily rise so far.

On the other hand, Bali has recorded 127 Covid-19 cases on average per day in September 2020, reported Reuters.

No international tourists

Bali's economy has seen a sharp decline since Indonesia banned foreign visitors from entering earlier this year.

On July 9, 2020, Bali reopened to local tourists and was hoping to allow international tourists to visit from Sep. 11.

However, the island later announced that it will not open to foreign tourists until the end of 2020.

Over 262,000 cases in Indonesia

As of Sep. 24, Indonesia has over 262,000 Covid-19 cases in total.

It has the second highest number of cases in Southeast Asia, just behind the Philippines (more than 296,000 cases).

However, Indonesia has the highest number of Covid-19 deaths in Southeast Asia, with over 10,000 recorded fatalities.

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Top images by Ranjith Alingal & Arvin Putra Pratama via Unsplash.