The Indonesian resort island of Bali will begin accepting travelers from all countries from the end of this week, officials said, Reuters reported.

Although Bali officially opened to visitors from China, New Zealand and Japan in mid-October, there have been no direct flights since then, Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno said at a briefing.

The reopening followed similar announcements by Thailand and the Philippines, which suspended the quarantine waiver in December due to initial uncertainty over the effectiveness of the omicron strain vaccine.

The decision came despite a steady rise in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia this month, despite the fact that outbreaks were brought under control in the second half of last year. Health authorities attributed the increase to Omicron.

Singapore Airlines said they will resume flights to Bali from Singapore starting 16 February.

Senior Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said that foreign visitors who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 will still have to be quarantined for five to seven days starting.