The economies of the popular destinations have collapsed since the coronavirus put a stop to foreign arrivals

But reopening too much, too soon would make severe epidemics and sustained economic downturns ‘highly likely’

While scores of countries are reintroducing border closures and travel restrictions to mitigate fresh waves of Covid-19, Southeast Asia’s two most popular resort islands – Bali and Phuket – are in a race to open to international tourism.