August 18, 2021
PPKM Level 4 extended to Aug. 23 + Hindu authority urges families to skip funeral rites for Covid victims as Bali morgues fill up + Vaccines for foreigners not prioritized says health ministry + more
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Weather & Tides
Today’s Weather for Southern Bali
Today’s Tides
Meteorology, Climatology & Geophysics Council (Link)
Tide table from Tide-forecast.com.
Local Covid Numbers
*Note: Though daily case numbers dropped below 1,000 for the first time in three weeks on Monday and Tuesday, the death toll remained high at 48 over these days. Yesterday’s deaths brought this month’s total to 621
Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers.
The Big News
"Government Extends PPKM Level 4 Until August 23, 2021" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): The confirmation was conveyed by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Marves) Binsar Luhut Pandjaitan on Monday. Luhut explained that the PPKM extension was carried out with considerations including the trend of decreasing positive cases, increasing recovery rates, and decreasing mortality rates. According to him, the extension of PPKM levels 4, 3, and 2 which was carried out from August 7 to August 16, 2021 in Java-Bali showed better results. This can be seen from the trend of confirmed cases on August 15 yesterday that fell to 76%. "Last week it fell 59.6%, now it's down 76%," he said. However, based on the results of field visits, improvements are still needed in several areas so that preventive measures are still being taken.
Context: Some Level 4 measures have been relaxed in the latest extension, with malls and places of worship allowed to receive visitors at 50% capacity, up from 25%. So far, only malls in Jakarta, Surabaya, Semarang and Bandung have been permitted to reopen with this limited capacity. Here is a current list of domestic travel requirements within Java-Bali.
"PHDI Urges Families to Skip Funeral Rites for Covid-19 Victims as Bali Morgues Fill Up" from Coconuts Bali: Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI), the country’s leading authority on Hinduism, is appealing to relatives of deceased COVID-19 patients in Bali to forgo traditional funeral rites for their loved ones, as morgues on the island are struggling with overcapacity. PHDI Chairman I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana made the appeal: “Lately in Bali there has been a spike in COVID-19 infections, as well as many dying in hospitals." Sudiana added that morgues on the island are full and unable to receive more bodies amid a low turnover rate. Many bodies remain at morgues for prolonged periods for traditional Hindu funeral preparation. PHDI has urged the Bali provincial government to limit the transit period of deceased COVID-19 patients at morgues to just two days to prevent further pile-up. It’s also asking families to allow funerals or cremations of their loved ones to be immediately handled by health workers with COVID-19 protocols in place.
"Health Ministry: Vaccines for Foreigners Not Prioritised" from Indonesia Expat: Spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccinations from the Health Ministry Siti Nadia Tarmizi has confirmed that the government currently isn’t prioritising COVID-19 vaccinations for foreign nationals in Indonesia. The government’s focus is to carry out a vaccination program that targets around 208 million Indonesians. This was explained by Nadia in response to the request of DKI Governor Jakarta Anies Baswedan regarding the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination for foreign refugees and asylum seekers in the capital. Currently, the availability of vaccines is still limited during the pandemic. Indonesia has only received 180,072,080 doses of both bulk and finished vaccines from Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, and Sinopharm. The Director of Prevention and Control of Directly Infectious Diseases (P2PML) of the Health Ministry at the same time advised that foreigners with certain terms and conditions can get vaccinated in Indonesia for free. However, Nadia said that foreigners who are vaccinated are not included in the list of the national vaccination program. “Foreigner vaccinations can be both through national vaccination and gotong royong. [The number of foreigner vaccinations] is only small, so there is no target for foreigner vaccination,” said Nadia.
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Other Headlines
"Police Officers Reportedly Extorting Travelers Passing Through Gilimanuk Port" from Coconuts Bali: Police officers have allegedly been extorting bus drivers and travelers passing through Bali’s Gilimanuk Port, with reports suggesting that authorities are taking at least IDR50,000 (US$3.48) from each traveler and allowing them to circumvent entry requirements. The allegations, which surfaced in recent days, have prompted Jembrana Police Chief I Ketut Gede Adibawa to say that they will conduct an internal probe, and may even summon the media outlet that first reported on the matter for clarification. Citing an anonymous source, CNN Indonesia reported that officers would ignore the mandatory vaccination or test requirements if travelers would give them money in exchange. The source also alleged that authorities would ignore how some inter-province minibuses, a relatively common mode of far-distance travel across Indonesia, are transporting people at overcapacity. The source, claiming to have spoken with the driver of a minibus, told CNN Indonesia that the driver said he’s paid money to the officers on duty at the port in order to flout the rules.
Vaccination Update
"'Red and White' Vaccine Expected to Be Ready in Mid-2022" from Antara: Amin Soebandrio, Head of the Eijkman Molecular Institute, said, "We hope that the Red and White vaccine will be available to distribute in mid-2022, as it is still currently in the development process." Soebandrio stressed the development of the vaccine is part of the efforts to achieve independence in meeting the country's demand for COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccine’s development is the first for Indonesia, which is creating its own vaccine from scratch. "We anticipate about 18 to 24 months to make the vaccine itself. The process cannot be as fast as major vaccine companies that started producing a long time ago." Calculations showed the development of the Red and White vaccine can take up to two years before it reaches ready-to-use status. Soebandrio explained 90% of research and development activities for the vaccine have been completed.
More...
Nation: "Indonesia Secures 185 Million Vaccine Doses Amid Scarce Supply" from Antara
Denpasar: "Hundreds of New Covid-19 Cases, Denpasar Says Majority Unvaccinated" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Elderly Vaccination in Denpasar Still Stagnant" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Health Services
"Jokowi Calls for 50% Cut in PCR Test Cost" from The Jakarta Globe: President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has told Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin to find ways to bring down the polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test for Covid-19 in the country by a half to help it expands tracing and testing capacity. The most populous country in Southeast Asia has set a target to conduct 400,000 tests a day but so far had been struggling to hit half of the amount. Experts pointed out high costs of PCR tests, the gold standard for virus detection, prohibit people from taking the test. Many health facilities offer the test at a price range of around Rp750,000 to Rp1,000,000 ($52-$70) per person, with results available in less than 24-hours. That's about seven times the cost of a similar test in India. Cheaper PCR tests are also available, but patients must wait for up to three days for the result. Jokowi said, ideally, Indonesia should offer the test at half the current price. “I have spoken to the health minister about this. I ask that the cost of the PCR test is in the range of Rp450,000 to Rp550,000. I also ask that the PCR test result is available within 24 hours at most. We need speed," Jokowi said.
Context: With the drop in price of PCR tests, which are still required for air passengers flying within Java and Bali who are not completely vaccinated, tourist arrivals in Bali are expected to increase.
More...
Nation: "Indonesia Reports Lowest Daily Covid Tally in 53 Days" from The Jakarta Globe
Nation: "Philippines Extends Travel Ban to 10 Countries, Including Indonesia" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Province: "Oxygen Supply to Bali Not Sufficient, Koster: Often Has Obstacles" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Province: "Foreigners in Bali Find it Difficult to Follow Procedure for Wearing Masks, Even Fines Do Not Deter Them" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Badung: "Two Foreigners Caught Swimming at Kuta Beach" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Badung: "Following Luhut's Directives, Badung Regency Government Adds Central Isolation Places for Covid-19 Patients" from iNews Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Bodies Swapped After Being Buried, This is the Official Explanation From Sanglah Hospital" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Denpasar City Government Turns Five-star Hotel into Central Isolation Facility" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
Nation: "Indonesia's Foreign Debt Down 0.1% in Second Quarter: BI" from Antara
Nation: "Pertamina Turns Around Net Loss in H1 as Oil Prices Rise" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
Nation: "Indonesian Businesses Disrupted, Overwhelmed by Digitization" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
Province: "Tourist Visits to Bali Dropped by 88% Compared to Before PPKM" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Buleleng: "Controlled by Zebra Fish, Lake Buyan and Tamblingan Ecosystems are Damaged" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "More Than a Month of PPKM, Business Actor's Turnover Drops 80%" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Tabanan: "Jatiluwih Now Has a Tea School" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
"Jokowi Underlines Spirit of Mutual Cooperation, Collaboration in 'State of the Union' Speech" from The Jakarta Post: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has underlined that the spirit of mutual cooperation and collaboration across all parts of society had strengthened the country’s COVID-19 response. In his speech, the President claimed that the government had made “significant progress” in improving the country’s health infrastructure in response to the pandemic, while also noting that interinstitutional cooperation had grown stronger. “Cross-sectoral and cross-institutional cooperation, including between the central government and regional administrations down to the village level, are also undergoing consolidation. This has helped increase the capacity of the health sector and allowed it to better face the high uncertainty amid the pandemic,” Jokowi said on Monday. The President also said the pandemic had strengthened the Indonesian spirit of mutual cooperation, or gotong royong, underlining that the pandemic had highlighted public health as a “common agenda” and therefore strengthened social institutions and enhanced social capital.
"Death Tally Omission Throws Spotlight Over Data Problems in Indonesia" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall): The recent omission of the daily number of fatalities from the government’s assessment of the multi-tiered public activity restrictions (PPKM) has thrown the spotlight on the government’s COVID-19 data management, which remains mired in problems more than a year into the pandemic. Following criticism, the government was quick to clarify that the move was only a temporary measure. Office of Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Ministry spokesperson Jodi Mahardi said on Wednesday that the daily figures on fatalities would again be included in the government’s assessment once the data had been updated. National COVID-19 task force head of data and information technology Dewi Nur Aisyah admitted that there were discrepancies in the government’s COVID-19 database, with some regional administrations failing to regularly update the central government on COVID-19 deaths and recoveries.
"‘I Never Said I Was Anti-vax’: Punk Rocker Jerinx Gets Covid-19 Jab" from Coconuts Bali: Balinese punk rocker Jerinx, who has never been shy in airing his controversial views against rational thinking regarding COVID-19, has finally gotten his Sinovac jab but soon found that he had to defend himself from public ridicule. Jerinx, whose real name is I Gede Ari Astina, got his jab at the Jakarta Metro Police HQ on Sunday. Jerinx recently travelled to Jakarta after he was named a suspect for making a threat against a renowned social media personality. A photo of Jerinx getting his shot with a policeman gleefully giving his thumbs up as if an impossible achievement was unlocked went viral, prompting many to ridicule Jerinx for apparently swallowing his pride after months of championing and perpetuating conspiracy theories about the pandemic. Jerinx has hit back against the accusation, stressing in an Instagram post this morning that he has never been against the COVID-19 vaccine. Jerinx was only released from prison in June after having served his controversial conviction for hate speech. He was found guilty after accusing the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) of being “flunkeys” to the World Health Organization (WHO).
"Indonesian Director Edwin Wins Locarno Film Festival" from Agence France-Presse: Jakarta-based director Edwin on Saturday won the Golden Leopard for the best picture at the Locarno Film Festival with "Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash", a homage to 1980s Asian all-action movies. The feature paints a humorous portrait of a violent young man who falls for a woman after fighting her. Edwin had already returned to Jakarta before the awards ceremony but the organizers put out a video in which he said the Golden Leopard was "happiness... it’s a nice support and it motivates. "We need this energy in this not so easy time." Indonesian cinema was still young, he said, as in most of the cinema in the region. "I feel connected with the all of southeast Asian region because we are facing more or less the same spirit and also at the same time facing the same problem, you know we have censorship, we have violence here and there. "We are very excited with the growing of our cinema," he added.
Of Interest
"Indonesian Icons: the Enduring Power of ‘Indonesia Raya’" from The Jakarta Post
"Authorities on the Hunt for Artist Behind ‘Jokowi: 404 Not Found’ Graffiti in Tangerang" from Coconuts Jakarta
"Time for Indonesian Paralympic Athletes to Shine" from Antara
"Indonesian Diaspora Has Contributed to Pandemic Solutions: Minister" from Antara
"Densus 88 Arrests Four Terrorist Suspects in Banten and West Java" from Antara
"Indonesia Arrests Five in Decapitated Elephant Case" from Agence France-Presse
"Six Dolphins Stranded in Karangasem Safe" from Suara Bali (Indonesian)
"Foreigner Hotel Guests Participate in Indonesian Independence Day Competitions" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
"Viral, Aussie Gives Thousands of Free Rice Meals During Pandemic in Kuta" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
"26 Foreign Inmates in Kerobokan Prison Receive Remission, 1 Handed Over to Immigration" from iNews Bali (Indonesian)
"Died of Stroke, Dutch Foreigner Wants to be Buried in Bali" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
"Foreign Tourist Found Dead in Boarding Room in Ubud" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
"Over Eight Months, Bali Immigration Deports 123 Foreigners" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
How You Can Help
In response to the collapse of the tourism sector in Bali and the resulting economic crisis, dozens of individuals and organizations have sprung into action, raising funds and distributing badly needed food and everyday essentials to the innumerable families who have suddenly found themselves without any source of income. We've been making an effort to document and raise awareness of these efforts. We will add information on projects in this space as we are able to confirm them. If you'd like to see a list of the efforts that we've featured so far and contribute to them with either time or money, visit our complete list here. You can also see a list of projects that have registered themselves with Bali Solidarity. If you know of an effort and would like to have them listed, please send their information to TheBaliBeat@outlanders.global.
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