Different countries do things differently, which is why we travel.

And falling foul of the law in Bali can have very serious consequences. But foreigners - and locals - who breached Bali’s coronavirus protocols found when push came to shove they were doing the pushing - push-ups to be specific.

Local authorities in the Badung Regency area, home to popular Kuta and Seminyak beaches, have recorded the highest number of coronavirus health violations in Bali.

“Most of [the offences] were not bringing their masks, not wearing them properly and some businesses not applying health protocols,” Badung regency Public Order Agency chief I Gusti Agung Kerta Suryanegara told the ABC.

While some offenders were local Balinese, Mr Suryanegara said 80 per cent were foreigners, mostly from Europe.

Those who committed minor mistakes, such as bringing their mask but not wearing it, were asked to do push-ups or sweep the street rather than being fined.

“We didn’t fine those who had admitted their mistakes,” Mr Suryanegara said.

According to the country’s National COVID-19 Task Force, the compliance rate for wearing masks in Bali is 96.5 per cent, while maintaining physical distancing is 92 per cent, making the island the highest for compliance with COVID-19 protocols in Indonesia.

Throughout the pandemic, more than 850,000 people in Indonesia have been infected with the virus, with more than 20,000 cases in Bali.



Is the Bali punishment a better way to handle anti-maskers?