Friday, August 28
Country sees worst day of pandemic + Cases rising, Jembrana Hospital adds 22 more beds & Tabanan diverting patients to provincial facilities + Bali unions demand crackdown on foreign workers + more!
Good morning! Welcome to The Bali Beat for Friday, August 28. If you’re not a subscriber, sign up here to get this update delivered directly to your Inbox every Monday-Saturday morning, along with each evening’s Covid-19 update. If you are already a subscriber, thank you! Please be sure to share it with others in the foreigner community on the island by clicking the button below.
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Weather & Waves
Today’s Weather for Southern Bali
Today’s Tides
Surf Outlook (animation shows changes from 8:00am - 6:00pm)
Weather forecast from Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology & Geophysics Council (Link)
Tide table from Tide-forecast.com.
Surf outlook via Windy.com.
Local Covid Numbers
*NOTE: Click here to see the complete breakdown of yesterday’s numbers + trendlines in our evening update.
The Big News
"Indonesia’s COVID-19 Testing Positivity Remains Far Above WHO Standard for ‘New Normal’" from The Jakarta Post: The country recorded a national positivity rate average of 14%, an 0.7% increase from July. "The national average positivity rate is about 14%," COVID-19 Task Force Spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito said. The country's positivity rate far exceeds the World Health Organization (WHO) standard of 5% for entering the "new normal."... Wiku also said the country had fallen far short of WHO’s recommended testing rate. "WHO recommends performing one test per 1,000 population per week, meaning with a population of around 260 million people, Indonesia needs to conduct 267,700 tests per week," Wiku said. "However, we were only able to test 95,463 people in the past week, 35.6% of the testing rate recommended by the WHO.”
(Ed. Note: While the national government releases nation-wide testing numbers each day, province-level figures are not regularly made available by Bali’s government, so we do not know how the island stacks up vis-a-vis the WHO’s standards.)
"Four Weeks On, 10 Cities, Districts Remain COVID-19 Red Zones" from Antara: "This should draw our attention since no change has been made for four weeks and they continue to be red zones. We should understand the problem together with all members of the community and the regions so the condition can become better," spokesperson for the COVID-19 task force, Wiku Adisasmito, said. Three of the 10 areas are in Jakarta province -- West Jakarta, Central Jakarta, and North Jakarta municipalities. The remaining areas are Gorontalo, Hulu Sungai Tengah (South Kalimantan), Ambon (Maluku), Medan (North Sumatra), Deli Serdang (North Sumatra), Balikpapan (East Kalimantan), and Sidoarjo (East Java). "The cases are still showing an upward trend. Cumulatively, the cases hit a weekly record high last week, while mortality rates continue to increase. Just in a week, 116 deaths were recorded," he said.
(Ed. Note: Yesterday, Indonesia set a record for new cases detected in a single day with 2,719, and the total number of confirmed deaths passed 7,000. Bali's 84 new cases yesterday was the just the 7th-highest since the outbreak began, but the last week has seen the most consistent level of daily cases to date, putting the 7-day average just below its early-July peak. For more on the country-wide status of the virus, click here. You can find more context for yesterday's Bali numbers in our infection numbers wrap-up from last night, here.)
"With Covid-19 Cases in Jembrana Soaring, State Hospital Prepares Additional 22-bed Isolation Room" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): Director of the State Hospital, Dr. I Gusti Bagus Ketut Oka Parwatha, said, "At the latest next Wednesday, September 1 or 2, there will be an additional 22 beds in a new isolation room. This can be seen from the existing conditions. There is no additional energy. Existing personnel are empowered," he said. Over the past three days there were an additional 26 new Covid-19 cases.
>> Classifieds <<
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Other Headlines
"Lack of Isolation Space, Tabanan Regency Government Sends Covid-19 Patients with Mild Symptoms to the Bali Provincial Government" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): The Regency Government of Tabanan says that it lacks isolation rooms to accommodate the increasing number of Covid-19 patients there. "There has indeed been an increase and we are coordinating with the province to provide a place for isolation," said spokesman for the Tabanan Covid-19 Task Force, Putu Dian Setiawan. "Those with mild symptoms are directed to be isolated in hotels or provincial isolation facilities such as Wisma Bima," he said... In Tabanan, there are currently two hospitals that have become a reference for handling Covid-19 Tabanan Hospital and Nyitdah Hospital. The two hospitals plan to increase the capacity of their beds and isolation rooms. "Nyitdah Hospital added about 50 beds, and Tabanan Hospital added 20 beds," he said.
"FSPM Bali Requests Supervision of Foreign Workers to Be Intensified" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): The Bali Regional Federation of Independent Workers Unions (FSPM) has asked the government to intensify supervision of foreign workers in Indonesia, especially in Bali. FSPM considers that this is necessary so that foreign workers do not interfere too much with employment in Indonesia... "Because until now many foreign workers have interfered in labor issues in Indonesia," said the Secretary of the Bali FSPM, Ida I Dewa Made Rai Budi Darsana. His party requested that workers who interfere in manpower affairs in Bali to be immediately investigated. If proven to have acted against the law, FSPM requests that the foreign worker be deported immediately.
(Ed. Note: This request from the FSPM was one of several made yesterday when hundreds of their members staged a takeover of the Bali Regional Representative Council (DPRD) Building. You can read more about the protest and their demands here.)
"Ministry of Education and Culture to Realize Immediately, Free Internet Quota of 35 GB for Students and 42 GB for Teachers" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): The government will provide free internet quota for teachers and students as well as students and lecturers. Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud) Nadiem Makarim said the policy was carried out to support distance learning (PJJ) in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Free internet quota will be given to students of 35 GB per month and teachers 42 GB per month. Meanwhile, students and lecturers will also be given an internet quota of 50 GB per month.
"Jerinx Case Transferred to Bali Prosecutor's Office, Handled By 6 Prosecutors" from The IDN Times (Indonesian): Drummer and founder fo the Band Superman is Dead (SID), I Gede Ari Astina, alias Jerinx, has been detained by the Bali Regional Police since Wednesday for an Electronic Transaction Information (ITE) case that ensnared him. Now the Jerinx case file is declared complete and will be transferred to the Bali High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati). In accordance with Police Report No. LP / 263 / VI / 2020 / Bali / SPKT, dated June 16, 2020, Jerinx could face 6 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rp1 billion.
"Not Oke: Social Media Live Streaming May Be Banned in Indonesia If Court Approves Network’s Broadcast Judicial Review" from Coconuts: Want to start a live video stream on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube? The very harmless act may require a permit if Indonesia’s Constitutional Court (MK) approves a judicial review on broadcast law filed by one of the country’s leading TV networks... In a virtual hearing yesterday, the Information and Communications Ministry (Kominfo) outlined a possible outrageous implication should the judicial review be granted. “The broadening of the definition of broadcast would categorize Instagram TV, Instagram Live, Facebook Live, Youtube Live, and all other audiovisual content streaming on social media as broadcast institutions that require permits,” Kominfo Director General of Post and Informatics Management Ahmad M Ramli said.
"Plus Point for Disney+ As Streamer Sets Subscription Fee As Low As IDR15K in Indonesia" from Coconuts: It won’t be too long until Disney+ officially launches in Indonesia on Sept. 5, and the streamer recently announced an attractive subscription rate, which may see them competing closely with more established competition in the country. Subscription for Disney+ in Indonesia has been set at IDR39K (US$2.65) monthly or IDR199K (US$13.55) annually.
"Netflix Subscription Prices in Indonesia Rise" from Indonesia Expat: Netflix has increased its subscription prices in Indonesia, Starting 1st September, following a 10% increase in value-added tax (VAT). In new regulations implemented by the Minister of Finance Regulation, all imported products in the form of intangible goods and services, such as online streaming services, will be subject to VAT of 10%. Apart from Netflix, there are ten other companies that have registered to collect the added VAT. This includes, but is not limited to companies such as Spotify, Audible, Alexa Internet, and Amazon.
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 at BaliSolidarity.org. If you know of an effort and would like to have them listed, please send their information to newsletter@migrationmedia.net.
About This Newsletter
This newsletter is a product of Migration Media, the hub for stories from and about the international migrant experience.
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