Organizers Will Set Up Travel Bubble in MotoGP Mandalika

TheIndonesia.co - The organizers of MotoGP Mandalika plan to implement a travel bubble mechanisms during the race that is set to take place on March 18-20.

Field commander of MotoGP Mandalika preparation, Air Marshal (Ret.) Hadi Tjahjanto, said travel bubble is one of the strategies taken to prevent the spread and transmission of COVID-19 during the international event in West Nusa Tenggara.

“It’s to anticipate the risk of COVID-19 entering Indonesia, when participating teams and MotoGP officials arrive in Indonesia,” Tjahjanto said in a statement on Thursday, January 13, as reported by Antara.

And prior to their arrival, he said organizers would receive the result of their PCR test beforehand, and if it’s a negative, they will be granted entrance to the country.

Upon administration, arrivals will be transported to their respective hotels, where PCR test will be repeated. Before result of the test is out, they will have to stay in hotels.

The former Indonesian military commander said this is where the travel bubble mechanism starts, adding that all hotel workers will also have gone through PCR testing.

Hotels are also asked to prepare one floor that will be used as quarantine location if a positive case is found.

Lastly, Tjahjanto confirmed that four hotels will be appointed to be the temporary residence for riders and officials during MotoGP Mandalika 2022.

Previously, Indonesia implemented similar bubble mechanism during the Indonesia Badminton Festival (IBF) in Bali from November 16 to December 5, 2021.

Unauthorized individuals weren’t allowed entry to the sterile areas that included hotel and the main venue for the competition. Besides ensuring all participants were informed of the rules, foreign participants were also obliged to register themselves in PeduliLindungi app as a preventive effort.

And to monitor security and the enforcement of health protocols, the event involved up to 930 personnel from the police and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), among others.