July 16, 2021
Delta variant detected in Bali says health office + Bali hospital occupancy more than doubled since late June + Private jet to Jakarta the choice of foreigners to return home during PPKM + 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: After 791 new cases on Wednesday, Bali recorded another record-one day total of 843 yesterday. The 7-day average is now 704. On Tuesday the province recorded its record daily fatalities total, with 22. With 145 deaths so far in July, this month is the deadliest of the pandemic.
Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers.
The Big News
"Health Office: Delta Variant of Covid-19 Has Been Found in Bali" from Antara Bali (Indonesian): The head of the Bali Provincial Health Office (Dinkes) Dr. Ketut Suarjaya stated that the Delta variant of Covid-19 has been detected in the Island of the Gods based on test results received from the Research and Development Agency of the Ministry of Health. "It was detected on Wednesday afternoon, there were three people." He explained based on the test results, the three people are male patients aged 20 and 50 years respectively, as well as one female patient aged 40 years. "Covid cases in Bali are increasing sharply at this time, one indication is because of the Delta variant," he said. On Thursday it was confirmed that there were 843 new cases which is the highest daily case record, bringing the cumulative number of cases in Bali Province to 58,331.
"Bali Hospital Occupancy More Than Doubled Since Late June" from Coconuts Bali: Bali’s hospital bed occupancy rate has more than doubled since late June and rose by 16% in the past week alone, as the province reports record-breaking daily new infections. “The bed occupancy rate in Bali province has increased to 64% as of July 13,” Health Ministry spokeswoman Siti Nadia Tarmizi said. On June 29, Bali’s bed occupancy rate was at around 29%. It rose to 48% as of July 6, and currently stands at 64.41%. The province has been reporting the highest daily caseloads throughout the pandemic this week, with 791 new cases recorded on Wednesday and 843 on Thursday. Meanwhile, data from the provincial government shows that Buleleng regency is experiencing the highest bed occupancy rate, up to 87.5% on its isolation ward and 95% on its intensive care unit (ICU).
Context: The health ministry recently confirmed that nationwide, 90,000 of 120,000 beds for Covid patients are occupied.
"During Emergency PPKM, Private Jet the Choice of Foreigners to Go Home" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian): A number of foreign nationals who are stuck in Bali have begun to use jet plane rental services as an alternative mode of transportation to Soekarno Hatta Airport to be able to continue flights back to their countries. Director of PT Indojet Sarana Aviasi Stefanus Gandi revealed that several foreign nationals (WNA) often contacted his company to ask whether it was possible to fly to DKI Jakarta. On average, they have not been vaccinated and have several children under 12 years old and due to Emergency PPMK cannot continue to return home. He did not know the reason behind the foreigner's return, whether it was related to Emergency PPKM. Based on Immigration data, until now there are at least 130,000 foreigners from various countries in Bali. Stefanus said that he had flown foreign passengers from a European country to Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport, because they wanted to return to their country via Soekarno Hatta. He emphasized that the passengers only transited for a few hours in DKI Jakarta before finally flying abroad.
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Other Headlines
"Countries Put Indonesia on Travel Ban List as Covid-19 Crisis Worsens" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall): As Indonesia buckles under a deadly second wave of COVID-19 infections, several countries have announced new bans and restrictions on travelers from Indonesia to protect themselves from the virus. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Taiwan and Hong Kong are among the countries and territories that have either placed Indonesia on their travel ban list or considered doing so in the wake of a severe spike in COVID-19 cases in the archipelago. Twenty-six Schengen countries, meanwhile, still ban nonessential incoming travel from outside European Union countries, which includes Indonesia. The Philippines announced on Wednesday that it would bar entry to all travelers coming from Indonesia or those with a recent travel history to the country. This came after the Philippine pandemic task force recommended the inclusion of Indonesia in its travel ban, which already includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the UAE and Oman.
Context: Singapore also banned travel and transits from Indonesia earlier this month.
Vaccination Update
"Bali Covid-19 Task Force Says Benefits Outweigh Overcrowding Risk at Jab Venues" from Coconuts Bali: The number of people gathering at Denpasar’s vaccination centers are hard to predict and have largely exceeded expectations, the COVID-19 Task Force in Bali said, reasoning that despite the risks, the more people are getting their COVID jabs can only be a good thing. “[We must] differentiate between crowds that have a bad impact, and crowds that have a good impact. These crowds are beyond our expectations [but the intention is to] offer protection from COVID-19,” I Dewa Nyoman Rai Dharmadi, Head of Law Enforcement and Discipline on the COVID-19 Task Force in Bali, said. “Look at the purpose, not just the crowds. We can’t prevent [the crowds], but our intention is to vaccinate the people.”
More...
Nation: "15.8 Million Indonesians Have Been Completely Vaccinated Against Covid-19" from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Nation: "Independent Vaccinations Do Not Affect Free Vaccine Rollout: Ministry" from Antara
Nation: "Pfizer-Biontech’s Covid-19 Vaccine Officially Authorized for Use in Indonesia" from Coconuts Jakarta
Nation: "Indonesia, USA Discuss Cooperation in Vaccine Supply, Distribution" from Antara
Nation: "Not a Single Teacher Should Miss Out on Vaccination: Jokowi" from Antara
Nation: "Gojek Provides Travel Discounts to Facilitate Public Access to Vaccination Sites" from Antara
Badung: "Students with Disabilities in South Kuta, Start Vaccinations" from Bali Prawara (Indonesian)
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Patrols
"‘It Depends’: Bali Authorities Say Deportation Doesn’t Apply to All Foreigners Who Violate Mask Rule" from Coconuts Bali: Bali authorities may have initially made strong declarations against foreign nationals who violate health protocols, but enforcement of the rules is evidently easier said than done, as officials appear to be softening their stance during times of tighter restrictions. “It depends on the level of their offense,” I Dewa Nyoman Rai Dharmadi, Head of Law Enforcement and Discipline on the COVID-19 Task Force in Bali, said yesterday. When it comes to the mandatory mask rule, for example, wearing the wrong type of mask is considered a light offense, Dharmadi explained. In this case, officers will provide a proper mask and give the violator a warning. Medium offenses consist of improper use of masks, such as having it hanging down, for which foreigners may be subjected to an IDR1 million (US$69) fine. Meanwhile, the threat of deportation only applies for foreigners caught wearing no masks.
Context: 29 foreigners were caught violating prokes over four days this week, each of them fined Rp.1 million. In addition to the three previously deported for prokes violations, another two, one from England and one from Russia, are awaiting deportation.
More...
Nation: "Airlines to Put on Special Flights Home for Japanese From Virus-hit Indonesia" from Kyodo News
Nation: "Govt Begins Distributing 300,000 Drug Packages for Covid-19 Sufferers" from Antara
Nation: "Drugstores Running Out of Three Covid-19 Drugs: Ministry" from Antara
Nation: "Delta Variant Overwhelms Indonesia’s Beleaguered Puskesmas" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
Nation: "Health Minister Blames Uneven Factory Distribution for Oxygen Shortage" from The Jakarta Post
Nation: "Industry Ministry to Convert 80% Industrial Oxygen for Medical Use" from Antara
Nation: "Epidemiologist Projects Decline in Covid-19 Cases in August-September" from Antara
Province: "Bali Increases Covid-19 Tracing" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
Badung: "Hundreds of Monkeys in Bali’s Sangeh Face Threat of Hunger During Emergency PPKM" from Coconuts Bali
Denpasar: "717 Violators Were Netted in Denpasar During Emergency PPKM" from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Buleleng: "Government Bans Eid Al-Adha Prayers in Congregation, Sacrifice Performed at RPH" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
"International Standard 'One-Stop Health Service' to be Built in Sanur" from Bali Post (Indonesian): The development of this area was disclosed by SOE Minister Erick Thohir. Erick said his ministry would provide international health services in Sanur in order to support Indonesia's health ecosystem. "That's why we are building one-stop health services in Bali on land that belongs to BUMN. The development of the Sanur Special Economic Zone will be equipped with international standard cancer treatment facilities in collaboration with well-known hospital operators. The area, which has been known as the Grand Inna Bali Beach Resort in Sanur, will be equipped with a health and welfare zone and tourism support zone with a total area of 41.3 hectares.
More...
Nation: "Indonesia Records Trade Surplus of US$1.32 Billion in June" from Antara
Nation: "Palm Oil Exports Reach Decade High: Gapki" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
Nation: "Indonesia's Toll Roads Likely to Stretch 5,103km by 2024: Minister" from Antara
Nation: "Indonesia’s Biggest Exits" Tech in Asia
Province: "BPS Bali Province Records Poverty Rate on Island of the Gods of 4.53% as of March 2021" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Province: "Food Prices in Bali Not Affected by Emergency PPKM" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
Bangli: "Sulfur Appears Again in Lake Batur" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Gianyar: "Hit by Covid-19 and Emergency PPKM, Gianyar Market Project Continues" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Gianyar: "Gianyar Botanical Garden to Hold Grand Opening During Emergency PPKM" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Jembrana: "World-class Tourist Attraction Coming Soon in Jembrana" from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Klungkung: "Submerged in Seawater, Rice Plants in Klungkung Threatened with Harvest Failure" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Klungkung: "Nusa Penida Residents Complain About Big Trucks 'Eating Up' Roads" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Tabanan: "Tabanan Salak Gula Pasir Will Follow Mangosteen in Export Market" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
"Ethnocentric Article Reminds Us That Westerners Still See Indonesia as Nothing More Than Bali" from Coconuts Bali: A recent article published by an Australian media outlet has epitomized the way the ignorant among those in the West see Indonesia; to them, the world’s fourth most populous country is no more than the holiday island of Bali. In an article published on Monday, The Australian, one of Australia’s biggest and most reputable national newspapers, decided that the headline “Indonesia’s Covid hell as Australians may have to wait years to go back to Bali” would fly in this day and age. Don’t get us wrong. We totally understand the compulsion to appeal to your audience. But framing the current COVID-19 crisis Indonesia is facing — the worst outbreak the country has seen yet — as an inconvenience for Australian holidaymakers might just be one of the most inconsiderate things a newsroom can do. So what exactly does that imply? Do Australians simply not care about Indonesia beyond their holiday plans in Bali, despite us being their close neighbor? We can’t say we’re surprised, given that a lot of coverage of Indonesia in Australia is so focused on Bali that people often forget that the island is part of a country and not a country on its own.
Context: Here is the article published in The Australian last Monday.
"Balinese Artist I Made Djirna Explores ‘the Voice of Nature’ in Upcoming Solo Exhibition in Singapore" from Coconuts Bali: Renowned Balinese artist I Made Djirna, whose paintings will be on display at Mizuma Gallery in Singapore later this month, is asking a question fitting of our time through his brush: “Is this pandemic that we are going through right now also a form of nature’s voice trying to tell us something?” The Voice of Nature, a solo exhibition curated by Hermanto Soerjanto, will run from July 24 until Aug. 29. It features nine of Djirna’s works, wherein the artist explores “the awareness of the relationship between humans and nature.” The works of the 64-year-old artist appear to have been heavily inspired by “Tri Hita Karana,” which means Three Causes of Well-Being. Anyone who has lived in Bali long enough is certainly familiar with this Balinese Hindu philosophy, which consists of harmony with God, harmony among humans, and harmony with nature. “According to Djirna, nature and humans communicate through natural signs,” the exhibit prompt reads, before giving the examples of ordinary occurrences such as the cloudy sky as a sign of rain and the chirp of certain insects signifying the change of seasons.
Of Interest
"History of Balinese Kecak Dance, Created by Wayan Limbak" from Suara Bali (Indonesian)
"Days of Health: Indonesia Enters Vegetarian Food Era" from The Jakarta Post
"Trapped in the Net, Estuary Crocodile in Sangsang River Found Dead" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
"Poison Found in Decapitated Sumatran Elephant in Aceh" from Coconuts Jakarta
"2.5 Meter Python Evacuated from Jalan Tukad Badung, Wrapped Around Leg of Denpasar BPBD Officer" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Weekend Reads
"‘Derby Days’ Compilation Album: Capturing the Spirit of Indonesian Indie Rock" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
"Indonesian Icons: Tempeh the Superfood and a Link to Indonesia's Past" from The Jakarta Post
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.
About This Newsletter
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