July 1, 2021
Central govt. finalizing emergency restrictions to contain spike + Delta variant yet to be found in Bali says health office + Ferry that sunk in Gilimanuk estimated to be at depth of 70 meters + more
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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.
Local Covid Numbers
*Note: Bali recorded another 221 cases yesterday, which tipped the province's total over 50,000 to 50,217. After averaging 40 daily cases during the first week of June, the 7-day average is now 210. Yesterday’s total included 2 Indonesians who had returned from overseas, 52 who had traveled domestically, as well as 3 foreigners who had traveled domestically.
Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers.
The Big News
"Government Finalizing Emergency Restrictions to Contain Covid Spike: Jokowi" from Antara: President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Wednesday said that he is finalizing plans for the implementation of emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM) to stem the spread of COVID-19 infections in the country. "The study is being finalized to determine the implementation of the emergency PPKM, led by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga (Hartarto), and we hope it can be completed soon, as the spike in cases has been striking," President Widodo said. The emergency PPKM may be implemented for the next one or two weeks in the islands of Java and Bali, he informed. The government will carefully consider the implementation of the emergency PPKM based on the latest data on COVID-19 infections, he said, adding that the decision on whether they will be implemented for one or two weeks hasn't been made yet. "Especially in the islands of Java and Bali, as the other 44 districts/cities and six other provinces have an assessment score of 4. We are considering this in great detail; there needs to be a treatment implemented in accordance with WHO's infection rate indicator," Widodo said.
Context: The majority of Indonesia's news outlets are reporting that the emergency activity restrictions (PPKM Darurat) will be implemented in Java and Bali from July 3-20. However, as stated by government media agency Antara above, the restrictions are still being finalized, along with their implementation period. A Reuters report last updated at 2:20 AM Bali time also said that the emergency measures are still being finalized. Interestingly, late yesterday afternoon Antara's Bali office published this story about the province’s regional secretary and head of the local Covid-19 task force saying that as all regencies across the province are orange zones, not red zones, Bali will not apply the emergency measures. However, it is still possible that Bali's regional government will be overruled by the central government's decision.
"Health Office Claims Delta Variant Has Not Yet Been Found in Bali" from Merdeka (Indonesian): The emergence of the Delta variant of the coronavirus has sparked concern in a number of regions, including in Bali, which is seeking to reopen tourism for foreign tourists. However, the Bali Health Service stated that the new variant had not yet been found on the Island of the Gods. The head of the Bali Provincial Health Office, Suarjaya, stated that he had not yet received information from the Research and Development Agency of the Ministry of Health regarding the entry of the Delta variant in Bali. "Regularly, the Covid-19 referral hospital in Bali sends samples to R&D. But so far I have not received any information regarding the findings of the Delta variant," said Suarjaya.
"KMP Yunicee Ferry Sunk in Gilimanuk Allegedly at Depth of 70 Meters" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): The ferry, which had 57 passengers and crew aboard, sank due to natural factors. "Strong underwater currents are thought to have caused the ship to shift south from the sinking location," said Director General of Land Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation Budi Setiyadi. The results of the temporary investigation, he said, are that the ship dragged by the current and tilted. "KMP Yunice was swept away by the current. Then it tilted 5-10 degrees until it finally sank," said Budi Setiyadi. Budi explained that the chronology of the disaster began when the ship departed from Ketapang Port, Banyuwangi, at 17.29 WIB. When it was at a distance of 500 meters approaching Gilimanuk Harbor, a strong current dragged the ship until it hit the right side of the hull. Budi emphasized that KMP Yunice sank not because it was not seaworthy. "The ship made in 1992 was last docked for routine maintenance on December 14, 2020," he said.
Context: Yesterday we included this story about the incident, which said there had been at least 6 fatalities. One more death has since been confirmed, while a joint team of 150 people has been deployed to search for six passengers still unaccounted for. A trial with an underwater search robot has failed due to strong currents. Information has also emerged that of the 39 people who were found, only 16 were listed in the ferry’s passenger manifest, while 23 were not listed. Of the 7 who died, 4 were not listed.
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Other Headlines
"Regional Secretary Calls Vaccination Effective in Controlling Covid-19 in Bali" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): Regional Secretary and Daily Chair of the Covid-19 Handling Task Force in Bali Province, Dewa Made Indra, said as is known, in the last few weeks the number of Covid-19 in a number of big cities, especially on the island of Java, showed a significant increasing trend. Bali, which is geographically very close to the island of Java, is also experiencing a trend of increasing positive Covid-19 numbers that are starting to touch the triple digits. What is a relief, he added, is that in Bali so far there has been no such worrying pressure on hospital occupancy rates. According to him, this is much different when compared to the situation at the beginning of the pandemic. Currently, the Bed Occupancy Ratio or BOR for ICU rooms is around 39.39%, while the BOR for isolation rooms is controlled at 30.30%. The two indicators show that the availability of treatment rooms in the Bali Region is still very safe. He added that this is proof that the vaccination program is quite effective in handling Covid-19. "This means that those who have been vaccinated, even if they get it, are not seriously ill or may be asymptomatic so they don't need hospital services."
Vaccination Update
"Indonesia Hopeful 70% of Population Would Receive First Jab by End of 2021" from Coconuts Jakarta: Indonesia has boosted its COVID-19 vaccination hopes with millions of doses set to arrive in the coming months amid an acceleration of the national mass vaccination program. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that Indonesia is likely to meet its herd immunity target of vaccinating 70% of the population — at least with the first of two required doses — before 2021 concludes. “We are accelerating the vaccination program in Indonesia so, God willing, by the end of the year 181.5 million Indonesians would have been vaccinated — at least once,” Budi said. Budi also confirmed today’s arrival of 14 million doses of the vaccine from Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac, which has overwhelmingly been the most used vaccine in the national rollout. “Maybe by the beginning of August there will be 85 million Sinovac doses that are ready for use. This means that there are more and more vaccines being shipped to Indonesia,” he said. The minister said Indonesia is also expecting additional shipments of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the WHO-backed COVAX initiative to make vaccines available to developing nations, as well as shipments of the Pfizer vaccine in August.
More...
Province: "Danrem: Second Dose of Vaccination in Bali Reaches 24% of Population" from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Province: "Bali Provincial Government Still Waiting for Covid-19 Vaccination Guidelines for Children" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
Buleleng: "Public Enthusiasm High, Mass Vaccination at Art Building Extended" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "423,000 Denpasar Residents Have Received Covid-19 Vaccine" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Jembrana: "Covid-19 Vaccination Targets Gilimanuk Residents" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Klungkung: "Accelerating Coverage of Covid-19 Vaccines, Klungkung Police Holds Vaccination Outlets in All Villages" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Patrols
"Pros and Cons of PCR Test in Bali, This is Covid-19 Task Force's Response" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): For Domestic Travelers (PPDN) arriving by air, they are required to show a certificate of negative results from the PCR-based swab test no later than 2 x 24 hours before departure. According to the Regional Secretary as well as the Daily Chair of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 in Bali Province, Dewa Made Indra, the rules issued by the Governor in Bali Province were based on the dynamics of the development of Covid-19 on the island of Java. “Geographically we are side by side with Java Island, the mobility of the population of the two islands is very high. We cannot close the border, what we can do is tighten it by increasing the conditions for travelers," he explained. "This does not mean that we are degrading other types of testing methods, but what is set as the gold standard to determine whether someone is negative or positive for Covid-19 is the PCR-based swab method. At this time we choose for stronger control, "he added.
More...
Nation: "Another Daily Covid-19 Case Record, 21,807 Positive Within 24 Hours" from Suara Bali (Indonesian)
Province: "Bali's Risk Zone Doesn't Shift for 7 Weeks" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Province: "Prof Mahardika: Not Only Bali Must Be Safe, Those Who Leave Bali Must Also Be Equally Strict" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
"Work From Bali Contributes 2% to Bali's Economy" from CNN Indonesia (Indonesian): Bali Governor I Wayan Koster estimates that the Work From Bali (WFB) program contributes about 2% to the economy of Bali, especially towards consumption. He said that if in the first quarter of 2021 Bali's economy was recorded to be minus 9.8% year on year, through the WFB program it is projected that in the second quarter Bali's Gross Regional Domestic Product (GDP) will improve to minus 7-8%. Although it helps, he assesses that Bali's GRDP will not immediately increase rapidly because the accommodation and food and drink components contribute no more than 20% of total GRDP. The majority of the growth contribution comes from household consumption. Koster then detailed that the WFH program for both private and civil servants contributed around 15% to 30% of hotel occupancy in Bali. Meanwhile, its contribution to restaurant consumption is an average of 20%.
More...
Nation: "Pandemic Doesn't Spell Windfall for Local Pharma Industry" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
Nation: "Indonesia's Largest Plastic Bottle Recycling Plant Inaugurated" from Antara
Nation: "Manufacturers Unconvinced About Recovery, Import Data Shows" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
Nation: "RI President Optimistic About 7% Economic Growth in Second Quarter" from Antara
Nation: "Four Social Institutions Launch Pilots to Tackle Marine Debris" from Antara
Badung: "Had Suffered Death Hit by Pandemic, Badung Tourism Begins to Show Growth" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Badung: "Badung Police Traffic Unit Gives Free SIM to Residents Born July 1" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Impacted by Covid-19 Pandemic, Unemployment in Denpasar Soared Again" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Kumbasari Market Renovation Begins" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Bali Reopening
"Bali Must Meet These 2 Conditions to Open International Tourism" from Bisnis (Indonesian): Bali Secretary Dewa Made Indra said that in order to open international tourism, Bali must meet two conditions, firstly ensuring that all efforts to handle Covid-19 are running well, in terms of health protocols, Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environment Sustainability (CHSE), as well as community discipline. Second, there is a reciprocal relationship between countries, namely Indonesia and the country of origin of tourists. Discussions about this also continue to be carried out through the idea of a travel bubble. "These are all ideas to partially open tourism by taking into account the Covid-19 conditions in the tourists' home countries. This means that we can't just prepare ourselves well, the tourists' home countries must also do the same thing," he said. "A decision regarding this will be made through a limited meeting chaired directly by the President. Bali's ability to reduce the Covid-19 number, which is currently in three digits, will affect the outcome of the decision," said Dewa Indra.
Context: As mentioned in this story we included yesterday, the tourism minister has said he wants Bali's daily new cases to drop to 30-40 before reopening.
"Jab and Fly: Garuda Indonesia Launches Covid-19 Vaccination Scheme for Passengers" from Coconuts Jakarta: National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has launched its COVID-19 vaccination service, allowing passengers to get their COVID jabs at the airport. Garuda Indonesia chair Irfan Setiaputra said the service is aimed at supporting the national vaccination program. “We believe that this vaccination program is a ‘game changer’ that holds an important role in efforts to overcome the pandemic in Indonesia, and it should be fully supported by all parties,” Irfan said. All Garuda passengers above 18 flying from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport may register for their first or second COVID-19 jab using CoronaVac, which is developed by Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac. Passengers only need to show their Garuda tickets and ID cards (KTP) to receive their jab at Garuda’s customer service area at the airport’s Terminal 3. The service is open from 8am to 2pm daily. However, they can only register on the same day of their departure and prior to checking in for their flights. Participants will get standard health screenings by the medical team before the vaccination, and those who wish to get their second CoronaVac dose should have an interval of at least 28 days from their first jab.
"World Bank Calls Two-thirds of Jobs in Indonesia Low Quality" from Kompas (Indonesian): Based on its latest report entitled "Pathways to Middle-Class Jobs in Indonesia," about two-thirds of jobs (66.67%) in Indonesia are classed as low quality. The World Bank said these jobs include online motorcycle taxis, food stall sellers, and other informal sector jobs that do not have a salary that matches the workload. A contributor to the World Bank report, Maria Monica Wihardja, said that the informal sector employment ratio even reached three-quarters of total employment in 2019. "Most of the informal jobs are in the micro household sector, and this is the sector with the lowest productivity. However, they continue to do jobs that make their daily lives continue," Monica said. She said the ratio between business owners and employees is still high. In 2019, 38.2% were business owners and 61.8% were employees. Of the total employees, two-thirds worked without a contract. This makes the quality of work low because it does not make the lives of workers more prosperous. "When women work, they get 25% of their salary less than men. This number has not shifted for 20 years," she said.
Of Interest
"More Indonesians Oppose Death Penalty: Research" from The Jakarta Globe
"Son of Statue Maestro in Ubud Found Dead Rotting in Gallery" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
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 TheBaliBeat@outlanders.global.
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