August 2, 2021
Bali exceeds 1st dose vaccination target of 70% of population + Delta cases pass 1,000; Covid still under control says governor + Government to announce fate of PPKM Level 4 today + 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: Compared to Wednesday’s peak of 1452, slightly lower daily case totals were seen over the weekend, 1280 on Saturday, and 1146 on Sunday. The 7-day average is still higher than ever at 1251. Throughout July, 10.1% more cases were recorded on weekdays than on weekends. The month saw a total of 591 deaths, which is 51.57% of all pandemic-related deaths recorded in the province.
Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers, which includes a look back at last week’s overall totals.
Due to a technical error, this morning's edition of the newsletter was only sent out to a small number of subscribers, and we had to re-send it to rectify the problem. Our apologies to any who may have received multiple e-mails from us today.
The Big News
"Bali Surpasses First Dose Vaccination Target of 70% of Residents" from Antara: Bali Governor Wayan Koster claimed that the province had exceeded its target of administering the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to 70% of the residents. "Bali's population reaches around 4.3 million. According to the target of vaccinating 70% of the population at least with the first dose, we have surpassed the target since 3,046,868 people have received the first dose of the vaccine injection now," the governor stated. Koster noted that the target for the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination could be achieved since children in the 12-17 years age group as well as foreigners living temporarily or permanently in Bali were inoculated. For the second dose of injection, Koster confirmed that only 807,838 people in Bali, or almost 27% of the target, had been fully vaccinated.
Context: Generally, only foreigners in Bali who hold a KITAS/KITAP visa and Nomor Induk Kependudukan (Population Identity Number, or NIK) have been eligible to receive the vaccine. Bali is targeting complete vaccination of 70% of the population by September.
"Delta Variant Cases in Bali Pass 1,000, Koster Claims Still Under Control" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): One aspect supporting the governor's claim that Covid-19 is under control in Bali is the high rate of patient recovery. "On July 28, 2021, 1,452 new cases emerged, astungkara 955 people recovered, though 44 people died," he said on Friday. Since the Covid-19 pandemic emerged in March 2020 until July 28, 2021, the number of Covid-19 cases in Bali has reached 72,555 people. The number of those who recovered reached 59,424 people (81.90%) or above the national figure of 80.32%. The number of patients who died reached 2,060 people (2.84%) or above the national figure (2.70%), and the number of active cases reached 11,071 people (15.26%) below the national figure of 16.98%.
Context: Some Bali hospitals, including in Gianyar and Klungkung, are still reporting that their isolation beds for Covid patients are full.
"Australian Families Stranded in Coronavirus-ravaged Indonesia Plead to Come Home" from ABC News: Australian families stranded in Indonesia warn their children are "sitting ducks" as the Delta variant of COVID-19 tears through the country. Children account for one in eight confirmed cases in the world's fourth-most populous nation, which has become the global epicentre of the pandemic. More than 700 children, half of them under the age of five, have died as a result of COVID-19 according to the Indonesian Paediatric Society. It is a pandemic child mortality rate greater than that of any other country. For those Australians stranded in Indonesia, the surge of the Delta variant is terrifying. Australia's halving of overseas arrivals in early July and a ban by Singapore on Indonesian flights has left Australians stranded in Indonesia with few options. They are calling on the federal government to organise repatriation flights. Around 780 Australians in Indonesia are registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) as wanting to return, with approximately 350 considered vulnerable. The government has said that help is on the way.
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Other Headlines
"Health Workers Overwhelmed With Tracing in North Kuta Because Many Have Contracted Covid-19" from Suara Bali (Indonesian): Covid-19 cases in North Kuta, Badung, have reached thousands of people. Local health workers have also taken steps to strengthen tracing. However, contact tracing of people who have the potential to be infected with Covid-19 in North Kuta District has experienced problems, because many health workers have contracted Covid-19. As a result, the officers were overwhelmed due to a shortage of tracing personnel. This was confirmed by the sub-district head of North Kuta, I Putu Eka Pramana. Meanwhile, there were a total of 3,148 cases of Covid-19 in the region as of Thursday (29/7/2021). "From the puskesmas [community health clinic] staff that we have, they are tasked with tracing 16 people. Yesterday we were very overwhelmed by tracing in each village."
Context: The provincial government has increased the tracing target to 10,000 contacts per day.
Vaccination Update
"Vaccine Shortage Jeopardizes Government's 1 Million a Day Vaccination Target" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall): Despite the government’s ambitious goal of administering 1 million vaccine shots a day this month and 2 million a day in August, many regions are currently grappling with vaccine scarcity. In many vaccination centers, eligible recipients, including those who had already received their first shots, had to return home without getting their jabs. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has said that the country had only 22 million vaccine doses in stock, which was not enough for a month of vaccinations. He said the government was expecting the arrival of 4 million ready-to-use vaccines from Britain's AstraZeneca between July 25 and 31.
More...
Nation: "Over 20.14 Million Indonesians Fully Vaccinated Against Covid-19" from Antara
Nation: "Indonesia Upbeat of Securing Covid-19 Vaccine Supplies for August" from Antara
Nation: "Pregnant Women Can Get Covid-19 Vaccination With T&Cs Applicable" from Antara
Nation: "Indigenous Communities Can Use Alternative ID to Receive Vaccine" from Antara
Denpasar: "Starting Tomorrow, 10,000 Health Workers in Denpasar Injected With Third Dose of Covid-19 Vaccine" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Health Services
"Delta Variant Spreads Almost Evenly Throughout Indonesia: Official" from Antara: A specimen study has shown that the highly-contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus has spread almost evenly throughout Indonesia, according to Siti Nadia Tarmizi, a spokesperson for the COVID-19 Vaccination of the Health Ministry. "The Delta variant dominates 86% of the specimen sequencing conducted in the last 60 days in 24 provinces, so it can be said that it has spread almost evenly throughout Indonesia," she said. The genomic sequencing laboratory network under the command of the Health Research and Development Agency (Litbangkes) continues to explore the distribution pattern of the COVID-19 variants in Indonesia. From early 2021 to July 28, Indonesia has reported 3,651 genome sequencing results into a global database. The government is committed to increasing the volume of testing from around 300,000 to 500,000 tests per day.
More...
Nation: "Government Will Announce Fate of PPKM Level 4 on Monday" from Detik (Indonesian)
Nation: "Amid Covid Spread, 'Semi-lockdown' Expanded to 21 Provinces" from Antara
Nation: "Nursing Students to Assist Overwhelmed Health Workers" from The Jakarta Post(Metered Paywall)
Province: "Handling Corona in Bali Evaluated, Here Are the Indicators" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
Province: "Governor of Bali Receives National Police Chief Award for Best Micro PPKM" from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Province: "Two Days in a Row, Pregnant Women Become Victims of Covid-19 in Bali" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Buleleng: "Family Clusters Dominate New Covid-19 Cases in Buleleng" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Universities in Bali Develop Application for Tracking Covid Residents Via QR Code" from iNews Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Three Central Isolation Facilities Full, Denpasar Again Explores Hotel" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
Nation: "BSI Digital Transactions Reach Rp95.13 Trillion During First Half of 2021" from Antara
Nation: "Indonesia's F&B Industry Utilization at 89% Amid Pandemic: Ministry" from Antara
Nation: "Indonesia Sets Net-zero Emissions Goal Ahead of COP26" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
Nation: "Ministry of Agriculture Guarantees Food Stocks Safe Until December 2021" from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Province: "Many Hotels in Bali Being Sold Cheaply, a Sign Tourism Business on Verge of Mass Bankruptcy" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Province: "Grants From Center Have Not Materialized, Deputy Governor of Bali: We Continue to Communicate So We Can Be Assisted Immediately" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Bangli: "Songan-Bangli Farmers Share Free Vegetables for Residents" from Republika (Indonesian)
Buleleng: "LGBT Community Survive by Relying on Community Help During PPKM" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Klungkung: "PLN to Conduct 3-hour Blackout in Nusa Penida" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Education
Nation: "Teachers Hesitant to Return to Online Learning as PPKM Orders School Closures" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
Nation: "22,000 University Students to Teach School Children in 491 Regions" from Antara
Province: "Bali Council Supports Governor's Steps to Accommodate Students in State Schools, BMPS: It's Harmful Bad for Us" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Karangasem: "Student Internet Quota Not Disbursed, Parents Asked To Be Patient" from Bali Express (Indonesian
"Diabetes Becomes Highest Contributor to Death of Covid-19 Patients in Bali" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): Data released by the Bali Provincial Government (Pemprov) revealed that 91% of Covid-related deaths were among patients who had not been vaccinated. Another cause is comorbidities, which were recorded among 63.0% of deaths. In more detail, from the results of further investigations, the death rate for Covid-19 patients with comorbidities in Bali, said Governor Koster, is dominated by diabetes (diabetes mellitus), or 28.1%. This is followed by high blood pressure (hypertension) (17.9%); kidney failure (17.9%); heart disease (11.1%); lung disease (9.3%); and the rest due to other types of diseases.
"Protection of Hare Krisna Revoked" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): The Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) Center has officially revoked the protection for the Hare Krisna Sampradaya or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Indonesia. The revoking has long been echoed by PHDI in a number of regions and Hindus in Bali and Indonesia. However, it was not until Friday (30/7) that the Central PHDI officially revoked the letter of protection against Sampradaya Hare Krisna. Chair of the Bali DPRD, Nyoman Adi Wiryatama, said, "The withdrawal of Sampradaya's protection began with unfavorable conditions which could cause disturbances in security and order in the community. "We at the Bali DPRD have firmly issued a recommendation on behalf of the institution, that if there is a sect of belief that causes disturbances to security and public order, it is dissolved. That is the decision of the council."
"Three Members of Australia’s Bali Nine Deserve to Walk Free One Day, Jail Officials Say" from Australian Associated Press: The three, who are jailed in Bali, are serving life sentences for their role in an ill-fated heroin-smuggling plot and unless they can win a reprieve from Indonesia’s president, will never be freed. As Indonesia’s 17 August Independence Day approaches, when remissions are traditionally announced, the trio’s jail governors and justice officials have sent glowing reports to Jakarta, recommending they be given a chance at life outside prison. The final decision rests with president Joko Widodo, who, in 2015, ordered that Bali Nine ringleaders 34-year-old Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, 31, be executed by firing squad. Kerobokan jail governor, Fikri Jaya Soebing, said both Norman and Chen were model prisoners and deserved remissions.
"Sumatran Tigers Infected With Coronavirus at Indonesian Zoo" from Agence France-Presse: Two Sumatran tigers were recovering at a Jakarta zoo after being infected with coronavirus, Indonesian officials said Sunday, as they probed how the critically endangered animals got sick. Nine-year-old Tino and 12-year-old Hari tested positive in mid-July after they experienced flu-like symptoms, trouble breathing and appetite loss. But the male tigers were on the mend after treatment. "Both animals are healthy now," Suzi Marsitawati, head of Jakarta's Parks and Forest Service, said. "Their appetite has returned to normal and they are active again. We traced all the nurses and zookeepers (in contact with the tigers) and at the time they were sick, nobody was infected with Covid-19," Marsitawati said. "So we are still trying to find the source."
Of Interest
"Wrong Path, Two Mount Batur Climbers Slip into Gorge" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
"One Last Spin: Remembering Legendary Record Store Owner Lian Nasution" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
"Indonesian Icons: Susy Susanti – the First Indonesian Olympic Gold Medalist" from The Jakarta Post
"Horny Indonesian Reporter Blasted Over Sexually Objectifying Headlines About Female Olympics Athletes" from Coconuts Jakarta
"Boat Passenger Falls into Sea While Crossing to Gilimanuk" from Radar Bali (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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