February 1, 2022
Gov't says Bali now open for all international travellers but details are unclear + Minister says international traveler quarantine reduced to 5 days + Tokyo-Bali flight to re-start on Feb. 3 + more
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The Big News
“Indonesia Says Bali to Reopen to Foreign Travellers, Again” from Reuters: Bali will start welcoming back travellers from all countries from later this week, officials said on Monday, more than three months after announcing it was open to selected nationalities. Though Bali officially opened to visitors from China, New Zealand, and Japan among other countries in mid October, there has since been no direct flights, Tourism minister Sandiaga Uno told a briefing. The decision comes despite a steady rise in Indonesia's COVID-19 cases this month, despite having brought outbreaks under control in the second half of last year. Singapore Airlines said on Friday it would resume flights to Bali from Singapore starting on Feb. 16. Senior minister, Luhut Pandjaitan, said from Feb. 4 international visitors who were vaccinated against COVID-19 would still be required to do between five and seven days of quarantine.
Context: There has been considerable media coverage of the Ministers’ statements overnight. A number of sources are reporting that the reopening is only for travelers who are not Indonesian migrant workers (Indonesian), others for foreign travelers and non-Indonesian migrant workers, and others still are reporting it is only for travelers who are non-Indonesian migrant workers (Indonesian). If the final version is correct, it is not clear if this is a reference to still needing to use a business visa, or that the intent is for the reopening only being for foreign workers, for example for those involved in the Mandalika MotoGP and other businesses with significant foreign labor needs. Once an official circular is released, the situation should become clearer. Other requirements, like the use of a B211 business visa, being fully vaccinated, and needing to pay for quarantine in advance, are unchanged (Indonesian). The cost of quarantine in Bali has been estimated to be around the IDR 12 million mark (Indonesian).
“Quarantine Period Reduced for International Travelers to Five Days” from Antara: The Indonesian government has reduced the quarantine period for international travelers to five days, from seven days earlier. The step was taken in response to a rise in the number of cases from local transmission, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, on Monday. "There needs to be a change in strategy due to the higher number of cases from local transmission. To that end, the government changes the quarantine period, from seven to five days on condition that Indonesian and foreign nationals entering Indonesia should have been fully vaccinated," he said. "The buildings earlier used to quarantine international travelers will be turned into isolation centers along with the expected high demand from confirmed positive patients without symptoms and with mild symptoms," he said.
“Garuda Reopens Narita-Denpasar Flight on Feb. 3” from Tribun Bali (Indonesian): Garuda Indonesia will officially re-open international flights from Narita to Bali on February 3. The arrival will be the first since I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport opened for international flights last October 2021. The quarantine period for foreign tourists to Bali will also be enforced for five days. The concept is that for five days we will start on February 4, the system is resort quarantine or hotel-based quarantine," said Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, on Monday. He added that the arrival of foreign tourists to Bali starting February 4 was not limited to 19 countries but for tourists who entered using an e-visa.
Context: The Minister did not elaborate on what e-visa for Indonesia he was referring to. In related news Ngurah Rai airport has confirmed the Singapore Airlines flight is going to happen (Indonesian).
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The Movement of Recovery (Yayasan Pergerakan Pemulihan) is one of the main drivers of mental health services in Bali. Together with BBB Community, they launched LISA (Love Inside Suicide Awareness), a helpline which offers support in Bahasa Indonesian and English. They offer free counselling and support for those in need. For more information, please visit their website here.
Want to share your message with the most engaged members of the foreigner community in Bali? Click here to learn how to place a classified ad.
Other Headlines
“Car Rental Rates in Mandalika Soar Ahead of MotoGP” from Suara Bali (Indonesian): The provincial government of West Nusa Tenggara has proposed regulations regarding the upper limit of vehicle tariffs ahead of the MotoGP. The Regional Leadership Council of the Nusa Tenggara Online Driver Association said that currently vehicle rental rates in the NTB area have skyrocketed. For example, an Avanza class for rent costs up to IDR 1 million and rental is set for a minimum of 5 days of use. "Actually, the government should be firm in setting limits on vehicles, how much is the upper limit on the rental rates," said Chairman of the DPD ADO NTB Yudhi Muchlis on Monday. He added that usually the daily rental of cars in the class of Avanza, is IDR 300,000 per 24 hours without a driver.
Context: In related news, crew for the MotoGP are scheduled to begin to arrive on February 7 from Singapore. Minister Uno stated that Pelni has prepared 700 phinisi ships to accommodate visitors.
Vaccination Update
“Govt Ties PPKM to Vaccination Levels” from Antara: Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, has confirmed that the government has modified activities restriction enforcement indicators for cities and districts, with complete vaccinations made a criterion for PPKM advancement. "The government has modified the PPKM Level 1 and 2 criteria by switching the vaccination indicator standard from the first vaccination dose to complete vaccination for PPKM status advancement. The rationale behind the modification is to encourage governments in cities and districts that are lagging in administering the second vaccine dose to expedite vaccinations," Pandjaitan said on Monday. The new criteria, which will be enforced this week, will allow a two-week transition period to allow cities and districts to meet the new criteria before the new indicators are imposed, he said.
More...
Nation: “Merah Putih's 1st-phase Clinical Trial Expected to Run Smoothly” from Antara
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Health Services
“Regarding Omicron in Bali, the Task Force Is Waiting for Results of Ministry of Health Analysis” from Kumparan (Indonesian): The head of the Bali Provincial Health Service I Made Rentin said it was most likely Omicron has been logged in Bali. This refers to the existing conditions in the last few days, where there has been a spike in the positive number of COVID-19 with symptoms similar to Omicron. Positive case records have reached 335 and 359 cases. "Most likely, Omicron has entered Bali, but we need coordination with the Ministry of Health," said Rentin on Monday. According to him, the Bali provincial health office does not yet have the tools to support the Omicron test, so samples of suspected Omicron patients must be sent to the Ministry of Health's R&D laboratory. "Of course not all samples were sent, only those indicated by Omicron," he said.
Context: In related news, government ministers have suggested that daily Covid-19 cases nationwide could reach between 150,000 and almost 350,000 per day.
More...
Nation: “Java-Bali PPKM extended to February 7” from Indonesia Expat
Nation: “PPKM Outside Java-Bali extended to February 14” from Antara
Nation: “Java-Bali Daily Cases Increase, Positivity Rate Above WHO Standard” from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Nation: “No Directive Yet to Close Tourism Destinations” from Antara
Nation: “Young Workers Constitute Majority of Covid-19 Cases” from Antara
Nation: “Covid-19 Mortality Rate Increases in Java-Bali” from Antara
Nation: “Self-isolation Sufficient for Asymptomatic Covid Patients” from Antara
Nation: “Denpasar Judiciary Team Nets 35 Prokes Violators” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: “Denpasar Government Intensifies Public Education Related to Omicron” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Jembrana: “Jembrana COVID-19 Cases Soar, Ogoh-ogoh Ceremony Re-examined” from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
Nation: “IDR 80 Billion to Increase Runway Length at Sumbawa Airport” from Bali Bisnis (Indonesian)
Education
“Bali Governor Asks All Schools With Students Exposed to Covid-19 to Stop PTM” from Suara Bali (Indonesian): Bali Governor Wayan Koster made new instructions regarding schools where a number of students were exposed to Covid-19. He requested that the Face-to-face Learning be temporarily suspended and switched to distance learning. The Head of the Bali Provincial Health Office, Made Rentin, said this on Monday. According to him, this was done for the safety and health of students. "In several schools in Denpasar, SMA SMK in particular, where there were dozens of cases, and distance learning has been stopped for the next 14 days," he said.
Context: Schools in Jembrana have said they will close only once the infection rate spreads to at least five per cent of students.
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Of Interest
“[There Should Be A] Special Digital Nomad Visa of 3 Months to 1 Year” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
“Jakarta Needs Another 4,000 Km of Tap Water Pipelines” from Antara
“Resolution of Hacking Cases in Indonesia Eludes All” from Antara
“Trans Sarbagita Back in Operation” from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
“A Week on Vacation in Bali, Actor Randa Septian Is Now a Prisoner of the Denpasar Police” from Suara Bali (Indonesian)
“Agung Climbers Now Required to Register Beforehand” from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
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