Friday, September 18
Guv issues new crowd restrictions & work from home orders + Belligerent foreigners spotlighted by media + As Minister orders construction of new quarantine center, govt will use hotels for now + more!
Good morning! Welcome to The Bali Beat for Friday, September 18. 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 complete breakdown of yesterday’s numbers + trendlines in our evening update. While the reduction in the number of cases over the last several days has been good, there was an almost 39% drop-off in the number of Swab Tests conducted on the island from the last week of August to the first week of September according to this chart tweeted out by Angus Wibowo, Head of Indonesia’s Directorate of Disaster Management Strategy Development:
I am aware of the rumors being shared on social media as to the reasons why this reduction in testing occurred, but there have been no media reports to confirm any of them, so they should be disregarded until verified by a trusted source. Province-level testing numbers are not regularly shared by the government, but I will continue to monitor the news for updates about this development and will post information here as soon as it becomes available.
The Big News
"Increasing Covid-19 Cases, Bali Provincial Government Ordering Work, Study and Worship from Home" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): In the circular dated 17 September 2020, one of the ways is by optimizing the implementation of office tasks by working from home for government and private agencies. The number of employees working from the office is a maximum of 25% of the total number of employees. The learning and worship process is also requested to be carried out from home. "Starting tomorrow WFH, 3 T will be optimized again, and positive OTG must quarantine at hotels," said Secretary of Bali's Covid-19 Task Force, I Made Rentin... The circular, signed by the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, also requested that similar regent / mayor regulations be carried out strictly and consistently by involving all stakeholders and covering all areas of Bali. Not only that, crowd activities at tourist objects and attractions, quarantine centers, markets and public places / facilities are also to be limited.
"Stopped for Not Wearing Masks, Tourists in Bali Angry At Officers" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): A tourist in Bali got angry when he was caught on a health protocol raid . Besides not wearing masks, these tourists also drive without wearing a helmet. The incident occurred when the joint Satpol PP and police officers carried out a raid in the Mengwi area, Badung Regency, Bali... Satpol PP Badung ensures that they will not be discriminatory in taking action against violations of health protocols. "We do not see citizenship. Anyone who leaves the house without a mask will be subject to the same sanctions," said Head of Satpol PP Badung, I Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara. From the raids in the last few days, the most frequent violators of health protocols were tourists. "Most of them are foreigners. We conclude that their adherence to health protocols is still lacking," he said.
"Luhut Asks Regions to Make Plans to Build OTG Quarantine Center" from Antara (Indonesian): Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan asked the local government to explain in detail the plan to build quarantine centers for the isolation of patients with confirmed COVID-19 but without symptoms (OTG) or with mild symptoms. This is important to avoid self-isolation at home which can transmit the disease to other families," said Luhut... "I ask for details about each of the distribution clusters which are classified into several large sub-clusters, namely offices, families, markets, and other crowded spots," ordered Luhut. In addition, Luhut also asked the Polda and Kodam to plan field operations to mobilize members to enforce the discipline of health protocols in crowded spots.
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Other Headlines
"Covid-19 Cases Are Increasing, Hotels in Bali Will Be Used As Emergency Hospitals" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): A number of two- and three-star hotels in Bali will be used as emergency hospitals for handling Covid-19 patients without symptoms. "The governor conveyed that he had sufficient hotel capacity to anticipate," said Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto... Regarding the plan, a number of hotels in Bali have expressed their willingness. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, hotel occupancy rates on the Island of the Gods have decreased. "This is a contribution that hotels can make to deal with this pandemic," said the Chairman of the Indonesian Hotel General Manager (IHGMA) Bali, Nyoman Astama.
"Pangdam IX / Udayana Report to Luhut Binsar, Identify 463 Priority Points for Prokes Discipline in Bali" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): Kodam IX / Udayana will synergize with the Regional Government and the Bali Regional Police to carry out justice operations and disciplinary action to enforce the island's health protocol. "Territorial guidance will be carried out in 97 places of worship, 230 shopping centers, 103 tourist attractions and 33 public facilities or facilities, with a total number of priority targets of 463 points for Prokes Discipline in Bali," said Pangdam IX / Udayana Major General TNI Kurnia Dewantara.
"Galungan Holiday, Tourists Flock to Sanur Beach Bali in the Middle of the Pandemic" [Photos] from iNews Bali (Indonesian): Residents thronged Sanur Beach , Denpasar, Bali, during the Galungan holiday on Thursday. This tourist attraction is still open even though a number of public spaces in Denpasar are closed following the continuing increase in cases of COVID-19 transmission in Bali.
"Single-layer Masks Are Going Out of Fashion in Indonesia After Officials Point to Vulnerability" from Coconuts: After KRL Commuterline advised passengers to stop wearing single-layer face masks on board the train, the Indonesian government has gone one further by recommending that they should be avoided for general day-to-day use due to their ineffectiveness. Backing up KRL Commuterline’s advisory, the COVID-19 task force yesterday recommended against the everyday use of “scuba masks” — tight-fitting face coverings comprising a single layer of synthetic fabric — and “buff masks” aka neck gaiters, which, according to a study by the task force, are only 0-5 percent effective in protecting the wearer from coronavirus transmission.
"Prices for Rapid Test Services Drop At 8 Airports in Indonesia Including Bali" from Bali Plus: State-owned national airport management company PT Angkasa Pura I has lowered the cost of rapid test services at its 8 airports to Rp. 85,000. Previously, the cost for the rapid test was set at around Rp. 150,000 to Rp. 200,000. PT Angkasa Pura I stated that the rapid test price reduction was carried out to facilitate air travel for travelers. “The reduction in rapid test costs at 8 Angkasa Pura I airports aims to reduce the cost of air travel so that it will make it easier for prospective passengers to travel during the new era adaptation period” said PT Angkasa Pura I President Director Faik Fahmi.
"5 Bali Restaurants Popular with Tourists and How They Are Faring During COVID-19" from CNA: Along the once busy street, waiters and waitresses from other restaurants stood or sit in front of their establishments, trying to woo the handful of tourists. Inside, the restaurants were completely vacant and for some, it would stay that way until they closed their doors for the day. Tourism is the backbone of Bali’s economy and COVID-19 has devastated the livelihoods of residents on the Island of the Gods... More than half of the restaurants on the resort island have to reduce their employees’ salaries and working hours by 75%, while some have to downscale their operations, according to the business operators. The rest chose to close their doors temporarily and put their staff on unpaid leave, including some well established and award-winning eateries.
"Zoom Subscribers Will Have to Pay 10% VAT in Indonesia Starting in October" from Coconuts: In an email sent to paid subscribers this week, Zoom announced that starting Oct. 1, the Indonesian government will levy a 10 percent VAT to be borne by the customer. “This is to comply with the Taxation Directorate General’s mandate that Zoom charges VAT on sales to customers in Indonesia,” the announcement read. The US-based tech firm added that customers who are tax-paying enterprises must register their tax identification numbers (NPWP) with the platform as part of the taxation drive.
The View from Outside
"Coronavirus Stigma Runs Deep and Dangerous in Indonesia" from Reuters: Indonesia’s COVID-19 taskforce spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito said the stigma those infected face remains a problem. He said the government was doing what it could to counter that. “Stigma can only be erased by tirelessly promoting health to increase awareness about infections and empathy to help those in need,” he said. From across Indonesia, more than a dozen healthcare workers told Reuters how the stigma around coronavirus had complicated their work or, in some cases, increased risks.
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.
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