Friday, November 20
As new details on vaccine efficacy are published, approval delay in Indonesia confirmed + Short-haul train trips to no longer require rapid test results + JRX sentenced to 14 months in jail + more!
Good morning! Welcome to The Bali Beat for Friday, November 20. 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
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 national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers.
The Big News
VACCINE UPDATE: Yesterday, AstraZeneca published new details from the Phase 2 trail of its Covid-19 vaccine showing that it was just as effective in people aged 70 years or older as it was in younger subjects. In addition to its cooperation with Sinovac, which is set to be its primary source for a vaccine, Indonesia has signed a purchase agreement with AstraZeneca for 100 million doses of its vaccine upon completion of its trials and approval by the country’s Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM). The vaccine is being developed in conjunction with Oxford University and is currently going through Phase 3 testing, which is expected to be completed by the end of December. Also, BPOM head Penny K Lukito said that her agency could not begin the emergency approval process for Sinovac’s vaccine, as it is still waiting for final data from the company’s Brazil cohort, affirming her statement from Wednesday that approval and distribution of a vaccine would most likely not happen until late January. This update was necessary after a contradictory statement from President Widodo on Wednesday where he seemed to say that the target for December approval was still the plan. Meanwhile, distribution channels for an eventual vaccine continue to be developed across the country, regardless of the approval timeline. Yesterday, Vice President Ma’ruf Amin reviewed vaccination test runs conducted out of a community health center in West Java.
"Travelers No Longer Required to Take COVID-19 Rapid Test for Certain Train Routes" from The Jakarta Post: State-owned train operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) vice president for public relations Joni Martinus said the updated policy was added to circulars signed by the national COVID-19 task force and the Transportation Ministry. The circulars state that travelers are still required to show official letters stating that they are free from COVID-19. These letters can be obtained after conducting a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or rapid test, or obtaining a medical statement from hospitals or community health centers if there is no available testing facility nearby. However, commuters of certain clusters, or “agglomeration areas” as the KAI puts it, are exempt from the regulation. “This means commuters, as well as train passengers of certain agglomeration routes, are not required to take a rapid test prior to traveling,” Joni said.
"Bali Punk Rock Icon JRX Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Hate Speech" from Coconuts: Jerinx was “proven to have legitimately and convincingly conducted a criminal act by deliberately and unrightly spreading information that has the purpose of creating hatred or enmity among the public,” head judge Ida Ayu Nyoman Adnya Dewi told the Denpasar Court today. The final sentence was lower than what prosecutors previously demanded, which was three years in prison. JRX will also get three months deducted from his sentence, as he has served that time in detention during his trial. JRX and his legal team say that they may consider an appeal against the sentence.
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Other Headlines
"Task Force: Buleleng is Already A Yellow Zone for COVID-19" from Antara (Indonesian): Secretary of Buleleng's COVID-19 Handling Task Force and Regional Secretary Gede Suyasa emphasized that Buleleng Regency, Bali, is again an area that is in the yellow zone for the risk of spreading COVID-19. "This means that Buleleng is a low risk area," said Gede Suyasa. According to him, the news was good news and showed that the prevention efforts carried out so far were bearing fruit. "With this zone, all Buleleng people must not be careless. They must remain vigilant about the COVID-19. This pandemic has not really ended. So, we all must remain disciplined and vigilant," he explained.
"Around 44% of Tourism Sector Workers were Laid Off Without a Salary During the Pandemic" from Berita Bali (Indonesian): Based on survey results, around 44% of tourism sector workers in Bali were laid off without getting a salary during the Covid-19 pandemic. In an online survey involving 400 respondents from July to August 2020, it was also revealed that 37% experienced a reduction in working hours and were given half of their salary. "Most or about 45 percent of workers in the tourism sector are unemployed or unemployed. And 32 percent of them trade, "said Researcher Warmadewa Research Center (WRC) Dr. I Ketut Dharma when describing the survey on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Bali tourism sector workers.
(Ed. Note: In addition to this data, Head of Klungkung Economy, I Nyoman Susanta, announced yesterday that 5,370 people on Nusa Penida had been laid off or furloughed as a result of the pandemic’s effect on the tourism industry.)
"The Bali Movement Will Again Hold Free Swab Test Day for 100 People" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): Bali Back Movement will conduct a free swab test for the public. It is targeted that in one day the free swab test is given to 100 people per day targeting the public, including tourism actors in Bali. Bali KemBali General Coordinator, AA Made Dewandra Reinhard said that the Bali Kembali movement is a combination of several volunteers from across professions. "This volunteer association includes celebrities, there are artists, doctors, businessmen and others. We are united to echo what is good for Bali, whatever it is, starting from the economy, starting from the health side, to accelerating recovery from the health, economic and social aspects of Bali," he said.
(Ed. Note: It is not clear from this story where the testing will take place, or how people can sign up to be tested.)
"Indonesian Govt Reiterates Plans to Tap Into Bali’s Medical Tourism Potential" from Coconuts: “This will be the destination for Indonesians who used to go to Singapore [or] Malaysia for check up, they can just go to Bali instead. Bali will be on par with Singapore,” Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir said. Erick said that tourism can be synergized with health services, further adding that Bali can also be turned into a training center for doctors and nurses. It appears that the current plan is to develop supporting facilities for such a purpose with Japanese partners. “So that we can upgrade our services and quality in terms of health. We hope that it can turn into a training center for our doctors and nurses,” Erick said.
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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