January 24, 2022
If Bali PPKM rises, Ogoh-Ogoh parade will be cancelled + Indonesia reports first two Omicron-related deaths + Mandalika MotoGP to go on with travel bubble + more
Good morning!
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Weather & Tides
Today’s Weather for Southern Bali
Today’s Tides
Meteorology, Climatology & Geophysics Council (Link)
Tide table from Tide-forecast.com.
Daily Covid Update
National Figures
Local Figures
Note: Bali’s Covid caseload continues to increase, with Sunday’s new cases the highest since October 12 and the 7-day average of people in treatment back to mid-October levels. Deaths remain low.
The Big News
“If PPKM in Bali Levels Up, Ogoh-Ogoh is Cancelled” from Radar Bali (Indonesian): The Gianyar District Leadership Forum held a meeting on Thursday and discussed the implementation of Pangerupukan. It was revealed that if there was an increase in the PPKM level, the ogoh-ogoh implementation would be closed. The sub-district head emphasized that if there was an increase in PPKM from level 2 to level 3 or level 4, the ogoh-ogoh parade would be cancelled. Meanwhile, the Head of the Gianyar Police, Kompol I Gede Putu Putra Astawa, said that this coordination was carried out so that the soldiers and STT had time to decide whether or not to make ogoh-ogoh.
Context: The status of Ogoh-Ogoh parades is in a state of ongoing change, with the approach varying according to the decisions of individual districts. In North Kuta for example, the march appears to have been cancelled (Indonesian), while Badung Police say they are still in discussions with other community leaders (Indonesian). There is yet to be any reported discussion of increasing the PPKM level in Bali.
“Indonesia Reports First Two Omicron-Related Deaths” from The Jakarta Globe: Two patients diagnosed with the Omicron coronavirus variant have died while being treated at the hospital, marking Indonesia’s first known fatalities from the variant, the Health Ministry announced on Saturday. “One patient of the locally-transmitted case died at Sari Asih Hospital in Ciputat and another patient who just returned from an overseas trip died at Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital in Jakarta,” Siti Nadia Tarmizi, a spokeswoman for the ministry, said. She earlier said that the vast majority of Omicron patients in Indonesia displayed mild symptoms or were asymptomatic. Indonesia has recorded a total of 1,161 Omicron cases since the first cases were confirmed in mid-December, 83 more from the tally in the previous day. There has been a surge in new Covid-19 cases in the last four weeks, including 3,205 cases in the past 24 hours, government figures show.
Context: Omicron cases have surfaced in multiple locations in Central Java.
“Mandalika MotoGP to Go on With Travel Bubble” from Antara: The 2022 MotoGP will continue to apply the travel bubble policy, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno stated. "We have declared that the show must go on by preparing a travel bubble that is the best practice to follow. This has been followed for crew members and racers during a similar earlier event," he said. He added that no special treatment will be given to racers, crew members, and officials that participate in the event. "Everyone coming from abroad will implement the travel bubble pattern," he said. This travel bubble was earlier applied during the G20 event in Bali and Jakarta in December 2021 as well as during the 2021 World Superbike event.
Context: In related news, Indonesia faces considerable logistical challenges in holding the event, while hotel room prices have risen considerably (Indonesian), to the point where some are considering commuting from Bali. Over 1,000 MSMEs will be participating in the event (Indonesian).
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Other Headlines
“Bali Bids King Pemecutan Goodbye in Grand Cremation Ceremony” from Agence France-Presse: Thousands of Balinese braved pandemic restrictions and flooded the streets of the resort island's capital on Friday to send off the king in a lavish cremation ceremony. The extensive ritual for Anak Agung Ngurah Manik Parasara, who died in late December at the age of 76, started on January 2 and continued until the main event on Friday. Enthusiastic locals and tourists crowded the ceremony in Denpasar on the island for the traditional royal cremation ceremony held to release the soul of the departed. Royal family members paraded past shaded by gilded black umbrellas, while dozens of men in traditional Balinese dress carried the king's body in a colourful 10-metre tall wooden tower, along with a massive Ogoh Ogoh. The remains of Parasara were cremated and his ashes will be thrown into the sea.
Vaccination Update
“Indonesia Accelerates Vaccination Drive Amid Threat of Omicron Spread” from Antara: The Indonesian Government has expedited the implementation of the vaccination drive, including booster shot offers, following the surfacing of the new COVID-19 variant called Omicron that has spread in several countries. Optimizing the vaccination campaign has become increasingly urgent, as the nation has reported a nearly fivefold increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the past three weeks, according to the COVID-19 Handling Task Force. Meanwhile, President Joko Widodo has urged residents to get their COVID-19 booster vaccine to increase the body's immunity against the disease when the efficacy of the first two vaccine doses starts to decline.
More...
Nation: “Indonesia Receives 201st Batch of Pfizer Vaccine Under COVAX Scheme” from Antara
Nation: “123.78 Million Citizens Have Received Full Vaccine Dose” from Antara
Nation: “Booster Vaccine Crucial for Prevention Against New Variant” from Antara
Buleleng: “People Still Get Vaccine Services on Sundays” from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Health Services
“Epidemiologist Pushes for Massive Tracing to Contain Omicron Cases” from Antara: Epidemiologist from Andalas University, Padang, West Sumatra, Defriman Djafri has called on the government to intensify screening, testing, tracing and analysis of whole genome sequences to suppress the spread of Omicron. "This strategy is to ensure that we can identify quickly, and the identified cases must be strictly quarantined," Djafri said. Djafri also asked the public to continue strict implementation of health protocols in their daily lives, by always wearing masks, maintaining distance, and washing hands, as well as limiting non-essential travel.
Context: This was one of a series of calls for change by epidemiologists over the weekend, others cautioned about a third wave, another to strengthen Omicron prevention, while a third asked the government to reconsider the implementation of their PPKM policies. Yet another suggested the “New Normal” become normal.
More...
Nation: “More Flexible WFH Policy Needed to Prevent Workplace Infections” from Antara
Nation: “Repatriated Migrant Workers Urged to Follow Quarantine Rules” from Tempo
Province: “Vaccinations of Children Aged 6-11 in Bali Reaches 104%” from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Province: “Covid-19 Cases in Bali Continue to Rise, Isoter Will Be Reactivated” from iNews Bali (Indonesian)
Province: “Bali Performing 9,000 Covid Tests Daily” from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Gianyar: “Three Villages in Gianyar Become Target of Rabies Vaccination” from Suara Bali (Indonesian)
Jembrana: “Five Suspected Omicron Samples from Jembrana Sent to Jakarta” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
Nation: “Tax Revenues to Continue to Rise in 2022” from CNA
Nation: “Indonesia to Push for New Global Agency to Replace WHO” from Agence France-Presse
Province: “Balinese Invited to Catch 12.5 Tons of Catfish Daily” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Education
“Bali Reminds Schools to Apply Health Protocols” from Antara: The Deputy Governor of Bali Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati has reminded teachers to always apply strict health protocols during the implementation of face-to-face learning. "Even though students have received the COVID-19 vaccination, they must always implement health protocols as one of the main keys to protect themselves," Sukawati said on Sunday. "Besides social distancing, students attendance in schools would be arranged in schedule. They also must wearing masks and washing hands," he added.
Bali Reopening
“G20 a Ray of Hope for Bali's Beleaguered Resort and Conference Centres” from The Straits Times: After a devastating two years riddled with cancellations, some of Bali's biggest resorts are hoping for a turnaround as Indonesia plays host to scores of meetings and conferences that will unfold throughout the year ahead of the G20 summit in October. Those meetings are expected to inject 7.4 trillion rupiah into the island's economy. An estimated 5,000 delegates are expected to attend the October summit of G-20 leaders. The meetings represent the biggest and best chance since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic for the island's resort and conference centres to steal a march on competition emerging in places like Thailand where quarantine standards have been relaxed in a bid to woo visitors. The wild card, though, remains the pandemic.
Of Interest
“With Covid-19, Parental Loss and Economic Hardship Bear Heavily on Indonesia’s Children” from CNA
“UK’s Propaganda Leaflets Inspired 1960s Massacre of Indonesian Communists” from The Guardian
“Indigenous People Could Be Expelled From Land for New Capital” from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
“Dutch Online Worker Deported” from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
“Beach Garbage Used as Material for Installation Art” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
“Covid Takes a Toll on Transgender Entertainers in Indonesia” from The South China Morning Post (Metered Paywall)
“Family of British Man Stabbed in Bali Crowdfunding to Fly His Body Home” from The Mirror
“An Expat’s Isolation Experience in Jakarta” from Indonesia Expat
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How You Can Help Bali
Due to the collapse of the tourism sector in Bali, tens of thousands of families have found themselves with a greatly reduced income—if any. If you’d like to support organizations working to help those in need, you can see a list of some here.
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