February 22, 2022
PPKM Java Bali extended to Feb 28, 4 cities in Java rise to Level 4 + Bali offers two quarantine options for foreign tourists + 992 foreign visitors arrive at Ngurah Rai Airport Feb. 1-20 + 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.
Daily Covid Update
National Figures
Local Figures
The Big News
“PPKM Java Bali Extended, 4 Cities Rise to Level 4” from Detik (Indonesian): The government has extended the period of PPKM for Java and Bali until February 28, with four cities rising to PPKM level 4. "The Minister of Home Affairs extended the period of PPKM in Java and Bali through the Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs No. 12 of 2022 which will take effect from February 22 to 28, 2022," said Director General of Regional Administration of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Safrizal ZA, said on Monday. Safrizal said based on the results of the evaluation, there were four cities that leveled up to PPKM level 4. "There are 4 cities in the Java-Bali region that are set to level 4, namely Cirebon, Magelang, Tegal and Madiun," he said.
Context: The four Level 4 cities are all in Java. Bali remains at Level 3.
“Bali Offering Two Quarantine Options to Foreign Travelers” from Antara: The Bali provincial government is offering two hotel quarantine options to foreign tourists (PPLN), Bali Deputy Governor Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati said. "PPLN can quarantine in quarantine hotels with bubble and non-bubble systems," Sukawati said on Monday. The bubble system allows foreign tourists to carry out activities outside their rooms, but within the quarantine hotel area, he said. The Bali tourism industry is also offering hotel quarantine with a non-bubble system, under which foreign tourists are confined to their hotel room for the entire quarantine period, he said. “Currently, Bali has 65 quarantine hotels. Some 27 of them are quarantine hotels with a bubble system. This provides options for PPLN," he said.
Context: In news related to the Bali Governor’s allegations regarding a visa and quarantine mafia in Bali (Indonesian) from yesterday, the Tourism and Creative Economy Minister has announced an investigation and severe sanctions for those involved (Indonesian).
“992 Foreign Visitors Arrive at Ngurah Rai Airport Feb. 1-20” from Tempo: Airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I said the passenger traffic of the international routes at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport since February 1-20 totaled 992 people. The passengers were carried by Garuda and Singapore Airlines. “We hope that in the future the number of international passengers arriving in Bali continues to climb so it can help with the economic recovery of the people and the tourism sector of Bali that have been affected since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Angkasa Pura I vice president corporate secretary Handy Heryudhitiawan on Monday.
Context: As media outlets reported yesterday, at least three more airlines (KLM, Scoot and Jetstar) have requested landing slots for direct international flights to Bali.
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Other Headlines
“Covid-19 Peak Has Passed in Five Provinces” from The Jakarta Globe: The government claimed on Monday that at least five provinces including Jakarta have passed the peak of the latest Covid-19 wave. Indonesia has recorded 34,418 new cases in the past 24 hours, down by nearly 10,000 cases from the previous day, government figures show. The highest daily tally was 64,718 cases recorded on February 16 amid a sudden surge in new infections triggered by the Omicron variant. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the number of new cases have been declining in Jakarta, Bali, Banten, Maluku, and West Nusa Tenggara. But Budi said the daily Covid-19 death toll may continue to increase until the next two weeks. Chief Economic Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that of 2,484 Covid deaths recorded since the Omicron wave, 73% are patients who have not been fully vaccinated.
Vaccination Update
“Vaccination in Catholic Church, 500 Participants Targeted” from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): North Kuta Police deployed a number of personnel to help facilitate the booster activities held at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church Hall of Babakan Parish, Canggu Village, on Monday. North Kuta Police Chief Kompol Putu Diah Kurniawandari SH., S.I.K said it will fully assist in the implementation of Booster Vaccination. Kompol Diah explained, the vaccine team involved from Badung Police Health Affairs together with North Kuta Health Center Health Workers with a target of today as many as 500 people. "The target is 500 people, with the type of vaccine used by Astra Zeneca which is intended for adult people," he said.
More...
Nation: “140,420,471 Indonesians Fully Vaccinated Against Covid-19” from Antara
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Health Services
“Gov’t to Reimburse Hospitals IDR 25 Trillion for Covid-19 Handling” from The Jakarta Globe: The government will pay back hospitals an additional IDR 25 trillion (US$1.7 billion) for allocating beds for Covid-19 patients last year, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Monday. Hospitals were encouraged to share at least 20% of their beds for Covid-19 patients and promised financial incentives amid a dramatic surge in new cases due to the Delta variant last year. The total cost shouldered by private and state hospitals in treating Covid-19 patients was estimated at around IDR 90 trillion but the government still owed them IDR 25 trillion. “We are coordinating with the Finance Ministry and the IDR 25 trillion debt will be repaid soon,” Budi said without mentioning when. In addition to hospital subsidies, the government also allocated IDR 12 trillion in financial bonuses for medical workers on a monthly basis last year.
More...
Nation: “Pedulilindungi App Missing From Apple App Store” from Coconuts Jakarta
Nation: “Gov't Strives to Detect Patients With Comorbidities Early” from Antara
Nation: “Omicron Cases Expected to Peak Around Mid-March Says Gov't” from Antara
Nation: “Indonesia Must Prudently Plan Transition to Endemic Stage Says Minister” from Antara
Nation: “Health Ministry to Regulate Online Sales of COVID-19 Test Kits” from Tempo
Province: “Bali's Covid-19 Referral Hospitals' Bed Occupancy Rate at 36.06%” from Antara
Economy & Infrastructure
“Indonesia to the Rescue on Nickel?” from Reuters: Nickel’s latest price highs come hot on the heels of news that China’s Tsingshan has made its first delivery of Indonesian nickel matte to Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co Ltd. The scale of Indonesia’s nickel build-out is hard to overstate, with the country’s mined production leaping by 35% to 936,000 tonnes in the first 11 months of 2021. A fundamental issue, perhaps, is whether Indonesia’s nickel rush will do much to satiate Western demand for battery-grade metal, as even if Western players wanted to muscle in, it’s not clear their ultimate customers, carmakers, would want them to do so. Indonesian nickel comes with a high carbon footprint due to the energy-intensive process route and the fact that coal is a core component of the country’s energy mix. Moreover, there is increased scrutiny of nickel mining's broader environmental and social impacts in Indonesia.
Context: For more information on environmental damage alleged to be related to nickel mining in Indonesia, see this story from yesterday.
More...
Nation: “Tofu, Tempeh Producers Go on Strike Over High Soybean Prices” from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
Nation: “Trade Ministry Collaborates With Air Force to Distribute Cooking Oil” from Antara
Nation: “Government Ensures Timely Completion of Mandalika Infrastructure” from Antara
Nation: “Ministry to Assist 3,270 Villages in Managing Waste” from Antara
Badung: “Badung Accelerates Infrastructure Development to Overcome Congestion” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Badung: “Jakarta Entrepreneurs Open Culinary Businesses During Pandemic in Kuta” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Bali Reopening
“Sandiaga Uno Says Quarantine-Free Entry for Foreign Tourists to Begin in April” from Tempo: Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said the government is reviewing a quarantine-free travel policy for foreign tourists entering Indonesia. This rule will take effect in April. “We are currently reviewing it, including drafting guidance. If all goes well, hopefully, [travelers entering Indonesia in] April will be free from quarantine,” said Sandiaga on Monday. However, Sandiaga said the government would use data based on health and science to determine the policy. The government, he added, is still wary of the possible transmission of various COVID-19 variants in the midst of the pandemic.
Context: The hotel industry has voiced their support for the ending of quarantine (Indonesian).
Of Interest
“Ubud Writers & Readers Festival’s Writing Competition Is Back” from Coconuts Bali
“Mother Dugong Found Dead on Bali Beach” from Coconuts Bali
“Bau Nyale in Kuta Lombok Attracts Thousands of Residents and Tourists” from Suara Bali (Indonesian)
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How You Can Help Bali
Due to the collapse of the tourism sector in Bali, tens of thousands of families have found themselves with a greatly reduced income—if any. If you’d like to support organizations working to help those in need, you can see a list of some here.
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