73-Year-Old Briton Dies in Indonesian Island of Bali amid Covid-19 Pandemic

DENPASAR, KOMPAS.com – A British national who has been in Bali the past few months died in Denpasar, the resort island's biggest city.

William Hamilton Mackenzie "was found dead in the boarding house in the Sanur district where he has been staying over the past few months”, said Babinsa or Army civil liaison First Sergeant Ibrahim Lema on August 18.

“We have yet to find out [the cause of death] after it was reported by the neighborhood watch. But the [boarding house proprietor] noted that [Mackenzie] had been ill for days.”

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The 73-year old’s cause of death has yet to be identified, Ibrahim said. He added: “An Indonesian man and his wife nursed Mackenzie in his last days. One of them tested positive for Covid-19, though a later test came out negative.”

Mackenzie was also tested for the coronavirus, but his results came out negative.

Four hospital staff wearing personal protective equipment in accordance with Covid-19 protocol sealed Mackenzie’s remains in plastic and drove away with it in their ambulance, before disinfecting the premises.

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The authorities have yet to say whether the British embassy or consulate have been notified about Mackenzie’s death. Bali has recorded 4,110 Covid-19 cases as of August 17, with 3,624 recoveries and 50 deaths.

Mackenzie’s passing comes as Bali started to revive its tourism industry by permitting domestic tourists to visit last July. The island is expected to welcome foreign tourists next September, though that step is still pending the government's approval.

(Writer: Robinson Gamar, Bali Contributor | Editor : Dheri Agriesta)

Sources: 

https://regional.kompas.com/read/2020/08/18/13350701/wn-inggris-ditemukan-meninggal-sempat-kontak-dengan-warga-positif-covid-19?page=all#page2.