Indonesia will host the upcoming 2022 G20 summit, which will be held in Bali from November 15 to 16. As a safeguard against COVID-19, the Ministry of Health will build a tight health protocol system to prepare for this event.

Under this structure, summit organizers will regulate contact with participants and create four discrete "bubbles" of restricted access and participation in places where attendees are expected to have the majority of their interactions.

Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi, M.Epid, official spokesperson of COVID-19 Vaccination, Indonesia's Ministry of Health, further explained the purpose of the regulations in a statement.

"The bubble system is in line with the current global framework of pandemic prevention. It's a travel corridor scheme which aims to limit risks of possible transmissions by separating those involved in the summit from the public at hotels, venues, and other supporting facilities for every event or meeting during and leading up to the summit."

Despite the fact that 77 percent to 78 percent of the population in the United States, Canada, and Latin America has been largely vaccinated, travel restrictions vary owing to the unequal distribution of doses.

The Four Stages of Health Bubbles System

The Ministry of Health will implement the first bubble for the representatives from G20 countries and their primary entourages.

Meanwhile, the second bubble of this policy will be set for G20 participants and journalists.

They will house the summit's organizers and field officers in the third bubble, and all operational and support workers participating in the summit's day-to-day operations will be placed in the fourth bubble.

After the success of the G20 sherpa meeting in December and the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors' meeting last month, which both utilized the health bubbles system, Usman Kansong, director-general for information and public communication at the Communications and Information Ministry, said the government is confident on the bubble system effectivity.

"We have had experience in implementing the travel bubble, and we have succeeded in doing so," he said.

More health requirements of the G20

Aside from the health bubbles, prior to their arrival, all participants must be fully vaccinated and present proof of vaccination and PCR test result, which were obtained no more than three days. 

The G20 conference in Bali will also include vaccine mandates, periodic health checks, and COVID-19 testing as part of the requirements.

Furthermore, participants should take daily antigen tests or PCR tests once every three days during their time in the bubble system area.

G20 delegates will be subjected to temperature screens at the meeting and will need to take another PCR test at the venue's entry.