Friday, October 16
Island to more than quadruple daily swab tests done + Task Force concerned about rising fatality rate & warns against complacency + Airport receives South Korean travel corridor certification + more!
Good morning! Welcome to The Bali Beat for Friday, October 16. 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.
I happily put this daily newsletter together as a public service, and it will be free so long as the current emergency lasts. *A paid subscription is NOT required to access this content.* However, if you would like to support my work, please consider making a donation of US$5/month by becoming a contributing subscriber at the link above.
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, trend charts, and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers in our evening update.
The Big News
"Bali Targets 3,000 COVID-19 Swab Tests Per Day" from Antara (Indonesian): "Bali will do 3T, namely testing, tracing, treatment. Currently, we are doing only 700 tests per day, and it is hoped that 3,000 swab test samples can be obtained per day by preparing PCR equipment," said Danrem 163 / Wira Satya Brigadier General Husein Sagaf. He said that there are currently 18 PCRs in Bali, but only 14 are ready and still need experts to operate them, so they are still in the process and working on them quickly. In the process, it is hoped that in approximately two months all districts / cities in Bali Province will become green zones. Although the consequence is there will be a significant increase in daily positive cases in the first week.
(Ed. Note: Another report yesterday in The Bali Tribune says that Deputy Governor Cok Ace claimed that testing capacity was currently at 4,200 specimens per day. From the translation, it is not clear if he was referring to the theoretical capacity of all 18 PCR labs currently on the island, or if he was saying that the Task Force was currently processing that many samples- which would contradict Husein Sagaf. According to (partial, inconsistent) data from Agus Wibowo, Head of the Directorate of Disaster Management Strategy Development, as recently as last week, Bali was averaging 600-700 tests per day, supporting Gen. Sagaf’s statement.)
"The Task Force is Concerned That the Percentage of COVID-19 Patient Deaths in Bali is Increasing" from Antara (Indonesian): "We are concerned that the percentage of deaths due to COVID-19 in Bali has continued to increase over the past two weeks," said Wiku Adisasmito, Spokesperson for the country's COVID-19 Task Force. He said that on 27 September the percentage of deaths in Bali was 2.97%, then increased on 4 October to 3.9% and on 11 October it stood at 3.27%. Wiku said the increase in the number of referral hospitals and the addition of independent isolation places or emergency hospitals was necessary to help reduce the death rate. Balinese residents are also advised to immediately go to the hospital if they have symptoms of COVID-19, so that they can be treated as early as possible.
"Indonesia Secures 100 mln Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine from UK" from Antara: The Indonesian Health Ministry has signed a letter of intent (LoI) with British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca PLC to secure 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021. The COVID-19 vaccine developed by the British pharmaceutical company is among the vaccine candidates that have entered the third phase of clinical trials, as recorded by the World Health Organization. To ensure a sufficient supply of vaccines for the entire nation, the Indonesian government has been expanding its cooperation with overseas partners.
(Ed. Note: Additional reporting notes that the schedule for delivery of the vaccine is set for “the first semester [H1] of 2021, and the remainder will be delivered in stages." AstraZeneca’s Phase 3 trial of its vaccine has been on hold for over a month for a safety review after one of the participants fell ill. While these kinds of halts are typical in drug & vaccine trials, just yesterday it was revealed that the company had downplayed the seriousness of the subject’s illness and had not delivered its internal data on the incident to the U.S. Federal Drug Administration in a timely manner. FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn would not comment yesterday on the report about AstraZeneca’s trial, saying instead that they would "be very thorough in our assessment," and that the agency has a “give-and-take" that takes longer in some cases than others. Meanwhile, an inspection team from Indonesia's Food and Drug Control Agency traveled to China yesterday to conduct inspections on the production facilities of Sinovac which is producing another vaccine that the country has already secured a supply commitment from.)
>> Classifieds <<
Attention AMERICANS -- LAST CALL FOR VOTING! There's still time to start the process and get your vote in this MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION OF OUR LIFETIMES, so go to www.Am-In.org/vote. We are a small, non-profit group helping Americans vote since 2002. Free help available too.
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
"Task Force Warns Regions Classified As Orange Zones Not to Be Complacent" from The Jakarta Post: According to task force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito, there are currently 34 regions and cities that have been consistently classified as orange zones, meaning there is a medium risk of COVID-19 infection for six consecutive weeks. Some regions and cities are getting closer to reaching yellow zone status, meaning there is a low risk of COVID-19 transmission... "Do not be complacent just because your area is not a red zone. Orange zones are still dangerous and the risk of transmission remains. If the situation continues without significant treatment, these areas have the potential to become red zones again," Wiku said. “Our target is for all regions to become green zones, meaning they have zero infections for four weeks in a row and a 100 percent recovery rate.”
"I Gusti Ngurah Rai Bali Airport Receives Certificate of Healthy Corridor Initiation from IIAC" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): The cooperation in implementing SCI between Incheon Airport in South Korea and I Gusti Ngurah Bali Airport aims to establish a safe corridor for travelers from South Korea's Incheon Airport to Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport and vice versa so it is hoped that it can restore trust themselves to travel by air on this route. This SCI certificate can also support the Government's plan to open a travel bubble with South Korea, especially Incheon... With the achievement of the SCI Certificate by I Gusti Ngurah Rai Bali Airport, I Gusti Ngurah Rai Bali Airport will automatically become a member of the SCI airport network and has the capability to conduct assessment and verification of affiliated entities (hospitality businesses) in Bali according to SCI guidelines standards. In this regard, IIAC and Angkasa Pura I will finalize the procedures and operations required for the expansion of the SCI concept to include other affiliated entities in Bali.
"The Covid-19 Case Is Considered Sloping, WFH for ASN in Buleleng Regency Government Is Not Extended" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): the Buleleng Regency Government has decided not to extend the Work From Home policy for government employees starting Thursday. Buleleng Regional Secretary, Gede Suyasa explained that this decision was taken by the Regent considering that in recent days, the fluctuation of the Covid-19 case in Buleleng was below 10 people per day. Moreover, the cluster of transmission in offices is also not that high. "There are only one or two employees who are exposed, and it does not become a cluster," he explained.
"Demonstrators Reject Grieving Omnibus, Distribute Roses to Residents" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): A group of students who are members of the Bali Not Silent Alliance distributed red roses to residents of Denpasar on Thursday afternoon. They also distributed leaflets about their attitude against the Omnibus Law. The choice of action this time is quite different from the previous one. "We chose to share this flower as a form of grief because the government does not want to listen to the aspirations of the people in all regions regarding the rejection of the Omnibus Law," said I Wayan Nata Manik Kusuma.
"Muhammadiyah Slams Police for Alleged Brutality in Handling Jobs Law Protests" from The Jakarta Post: Muhammadiyah, one of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organizations, has criticized what it called an excessive use of force by police officers against people protesting against the controversial Job Creation Law over the past week. Busyro Muqoddas, the head of Muhammadiyah’s legal division who formerly served as a Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairperson, said the repressive measures taken by police personnel against members of the public contradicted their mission to protect and serve civilians. “The National Police is not a tool of the ruling power,” he said on Wednesday, “Therefore, it must side ethically with the people.”
"Two Tourists Saved from Mount Agung Climb Attempt" from Indonesian Expat: Two foreign tourists, Trina Nguyen, 38, and Lucifer Everylove, 37, were found exhausted and trapped in the forest of Mount Agung, Bali on Wednesday. The two foreign tourists from America were found by I Ketut Suparta, 16, while looking for food for his animals. He invited them to his house three kilometres away, where they were given food and a chance to rest. It’s suspected that the two tourists had fallen and slipped, based on the abrasions on both legs. After the two foreigners were given adequate food and time, their condition began to recover and they were reported to the Kubu Police.
"Here’s How to Report Cell Phones Purchased from Abroad and Avoid Getting Blocked" from Indonesia Expat: On 15th September, a new policy aimed at eradicating black market mobile phone sales went live. Under the new policy, the IMEI number of all mobile phones used in Indonesia must now be registered in a Ministry of Industry database otherwise the phone will be blocked. This applies to locally bought handsets as well as phones bought in by plane or sent via post. Cell phones purchased overseas are considered illegal if there are no customs fees or customs taxes paid... According to official statements from the Ministry of Communication and Information, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Finance, and the Indonesian Cellular Telecommunications Association of Indonesia, IMEI registration for mobile phones purchased abroad can be done at https://www.beacukai.go.id/register-imei.html. Alternatively, consumers can download the Customs (Bea Cukai) mobile application available on Google Play Store.
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.
Our standards
We only include news items from established media sources
We do not share rumors.
We do not include opinion pieces or forecasts.
For all stories marked "Indonesian" I have used Google Translate to convert it from Bahasa. In most cases I try to polish the excerpt and/or write a short summary in proper English to help clarify the details.
For any questions, comments or tips, please contact us at newsletter@migrationmedia.net.