Friday, February 12
Chamber of Commerce head says govt will allow private purchase of vaccine in March + Plan for Covid-free corridor to re-start tourism at "final stage" + Outbreak in Singaraja Prison sickens 27 + more!
Good morning! Welcome to The Bali Beat for Friday, February 12. If you’re not a subscriber, sign up here to get this update delivered directly to your Inbox every Monday-Friday 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 island community by clicking the button below.
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Weather & Waves
Today’s Weather for Southern Bali
*NOTE: The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued a warning for the potential for severe weather across Bali through February 16 as the country reaches the peak of the rainy season.
Today’s Tides
Surf Outlook
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: It was another up day for new case numbers in #Bali. While it looked like Bali had flattened the curve last week, after 5 straight days of growth, the 7-day average (354) is now just 19 off of the high it reached on January 27 and held steady through February 1. Deaths yesterday tied the mark for second-worst for the 2nd time in a week.
Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers.
The Big News
"Independent Vaccination Starting March, Use Brands Outside Sinovac" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): "I can say that the regulations will be completed in the 3rd week of February 2021. That is the result of our meeting with the government. Hopefully, after there is a regulation and legal umbrella, this program [independent vaccination] can run in March 2021," Rosan P. Roeslani, General Chairperson of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) who is also the Deputy Chairperson of PEN. He explained that the mutual cooperation vaccine would not use the same vaccine used in the free vaccination program by the government. Directions are like Sinopharm, Moderna, Sputnik, or Johnson & Johnson. "So at this early stage, it is not direct exportation, but through Biofarma," said Rosan... The vaccine currently being run by the government is Sinovac made in China. Up to now, 2,000 companies have registered in the independent vaccination program coordinated by Kadin. Starting from large companies to MSMEs. "We will integrate the buyer data with BPJS Ketenagakerjaan as well as Telkom, so all of them are one data so there is no duplication of vaccine recipients. But I say, according to government directives, companies that buy this vaccine must give it to their employees for free."
"Tourism Minister Mulling Covid-19-Free Corridor in Bali" from Antara: The COVID-19 free corridor would allow international travelers to visit Bali as long as they have been vaccinated in their countries of origin and have taken swab tests shortly after arriving at the resort island, he informed. Swab testing will be made compulsory to ensure that incoming international tourists have tested negative for COVID-19. "The concept of a COVID-19 free corridor has been discussed with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Health Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and the COVID-19 Task Force. In principle, it has been deliberated at the final stage," he added.
"Covid-19 Transmission in Singaraja Bali Prison Widespread, 27 People Are Positive Corona" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): Singaraja Prison in Buleleng Regency, Bali has become a cluster for the spread of Covid-19 . A total of 27 inmates tested positive for the corona virus. Those who tested positive were the result of tracing from nine people in the prison who first tested positive for Covid-19. "Those who have been confirmed positive are mostly OTG (People Without Symptoms)," said Secretary of the Buleleng Covid-19 Task Force, Gede Suyasa. He explained that those who were confirmed positive had been isolated in three rooms in the prison. Meanwhile, five people with symptoms were hospitalized.
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Other Headlines
"Bintan Ready to Welcome Foreign Tourists with the Covid-19 Blue Pass" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): The Lagoy Tourism Area in Bintan Regency, Riau Islands, prepares to welcome foreign tourists by applying the digital Covid-19 tracking tool created by Indonesian children, Blue Pass. "So far, the Blue Pass has been implemented in Singapore. By using this tool in Lagoi, we hope to increase the confidence of foreign tourists from Singapore to visit Lagoi," said the Head of the Riau Islands Province Tourism Office, Buralimar. Blue Pass is a digital Covid-19 tracking tool that looks like a flash disc. In accordance with the history of the Corona Virus, the Blue Pass records user interactions with people in more than 15 minutes and at a distance of less than two meters. He explained, by knowing first hand the close contact list, health workers do not need to do search one by one and check PCR on many people, but only those that have been recorded in the Blue Pass. "So it saves," he said.
Prokes & Patrols
"Children Over 5 Require Negative COVID-19 Tests" from Indonesia Expat: President Director of Angkasa Pura II, Muhammad Awaluddin, had been ensuring that the company is implementing the latest flight requirements in collaboration with other stakeholders at the airport as of 9th February 2021. One of the conditions stipulated in the latest policy is that passengers over five years old are required to have a medical test document that shows a negative result of COVID-19.
More...
Badung: "The Nusa Dua Area Implements Strict Prokes During the Chinese New Year Holidays" from Antara (Indonesian)
Buleleng: "PPKM's Response, Buleleng Police Establishes 6 Posko" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Gianyar: "Ask the Police to Not Just Guard the Command Post, Prepare Rewards With These Conditions" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Jembrana: "Tighten the Prokes While Distributing Masks" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Vaccination Update
"Police Prepare 13,500 Vaccinators, 40,336 Contact-tracers" from Antara: "Nine hundred of the 13,500 personnel have been trained to be vaccinators, while 12,600 others will receive the same training in the near future," National Police chief, Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, told police officers. "Some 40,336 police officers have been prepared as contact-tracers,” he said. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said his ministry's collaboration with the National Police and TNI is aimed at optimizing Indonesia's contact-tracing efforts at the grassroots level. Indonesia needs around 80,000 contact-tracers in villages, and, due to lack of personnel, the Health Ministry has not been able to meet the demand alone, Sadikin revealed. Therefore, it is collaborating with the police and TNI.
More...
Nation: "Over One Million Healthcare Workers Vaccinated Against Covid-19" from Antara
Nation: "President: Traders in the Market, Service Sector Can Get Vaccinated for Covid-19 as Soon as Possible" from Antara (Indonesian)
Island: "1,632 Polda Bali Personnel Starting to Serve as Tracers & Vaccinators, Kapolda Gives Special Message" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian)
Bangli: "Vaccination Dose II held at Bangli Hospital" from The Bali Post (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "11,753 Health Workers in Denpasar City Have Been Vaccinated for Covid-19" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Tourism Numbers
"Bali Tourism is Very Affected by Covid, Sandi: More Worse than the Bali Bombing and the Crisis" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): "Compared to the one and two Bali bombs, the monetary crisis and the global crisis have never experienced a crisis this deep," Sandi said. the 2020 economic contraction in Bali which reached a record -9%. Even in the third and fourth quarters of 2020, the contraction was -12%. Sandi likened Bali to currently being sick with a high fever and lack of blood so it should be helped. Moreover, so far, Bali has contributed 55% of national foreign exchange.
"Uno, Koster Discuss Soft Loan for Reviving Bali's Tourism Industry" from Antara: The Bali provincial government and Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin)-Bali chapter have proposed a stimulus package of Rp1.5 billion to boost local tourism entrepreneurs' cash flows, Governor Koster said. The proposed stimulus package is being discussed and included in the national economic recovery program, he said, adding that several labor-intensive programs for reviving Bali's tourism sector have been started. Among them are a jogging track construction project; declaration of 177 tourism villages; Klungkung's waste-management project; and, a program to improve tourist destinations, he said.
"Tabanan Regency Government Defines 6 Temples as Cultural Heritage" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): The six temples that are designated as cultural heritage at the district level are the temples located in the World Cultural Heritage Catur Angga area. The six temples, respectively Luhur Batukau Temple in Wongaya Gede Village (Penebel District), Luhur Tamba Waras Temple in Sangketan Village (Penebel District), Luhur M Peak Sari Temple in Sangketan Village (Penebel District), Luhur Besi Necklaces Temple in Babahan Village (Penebel District), Pura Luhur Petali in Jatiluwih Village (Ke-camatan Penebel), and Pura Luhur Sekartaji in Desa Sesandan (Keca-matan Tabanan)... To determine a temple as a cultural heritage, there are a number of requirements that must be met in accordance with the law. One of them, the temple is over 50 years old, has become a means of education, and a place of worship until it has become a temple suspected of being a cultural heritage.
Of Interest
"UK Man Convicted Over Death of Bali Policeman Has Walked Free From Prison" from ABC News
"Detik Apologizes for Controversial Report About Influencer Nora Alexandra’s Sex Life" from Coconuts
"Deputy Governor Cok Ace Asks Tourism Actors In The Regions Not To Give Up Their Assets" from Bali Prawara (Indonesian)
"Bali Air Traffic was Affected by the Eruption of Mount Raung" from The Bali Post (Indonesian)
"PPKM Is Extended, Restaurant Business Is Expected to Adapt" from Republika (Indonesian)
The View from Outside
"Despite Bali Tourists' Expulsion, Others Get Away With Flouting Rules" from Today Online: Authorities are aware of wide-scale breaches by tourists of labour laws in Bali but lack the resources to take action, says Mr Philo Dellano, a managing partner of the PNB Immigration Law Firm in Jakarta. “There are only 10 immigration investigators working in Bali. They cannot possibly police so many people,” Mr Dellano says. “If (digital nomads) are working for foreign companies or individuals and doing all their research online or just talking with people overseas, then that’s OK,” he says. “But if they are gaining benefit from activities with businesses in Indonesia — it’s illegal if they do that on a tourist visa. That means anyone who is a blogger or travel writer or anyone who uses Instagram for commercial purposes — whether they get paid in cash or receive a free night’s stay at a hotel — they’re breaking the law.”
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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