June 4, 2021
Covid-19 far more widespread than official data shows: studies + 70% of population targeted for vaccination, Bali lacks 3.3 million doses + Not all airports open to foreign airlines in future + more
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PUBLICATION NOTICE: Starting this Sunday, the Sunday edition of the Covid-19 Update will contain a new section, “National Risk Assessment,” which details the risk zone status (red, orange, yellow, green) of Bali’s regencies/city, along with national risk zone totals, and the national risk zone map.
Weather & Waves
Today’s Weather for Southern Bali
Today’s Tides
Meteorology, Climatology & Geophysics Council (Link)
Tide table from Tide-forecast.com.
Local Covid Numbers
*Note: Denpasar was the only region to report new cases in the double digits yesterday (14), with all other regencies reporting single-digit cases. One of them was an overseas-acquired case, recorded in Badung. With these new cases, the 7-day average rose slightly, to 43. Only 1 death was recorded yesterday, in Buleleng. The 7-day average for fatalities (18) is the lowest since December 25, Christmas Day.
Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers.
The Big News
"Covid-19 Far More Widespread in Indonesia Than Official Data Shows - Studies" from Reuters: COVID-19 is many times more prevalent in Indonesia than shown by official figures, authors of two new studies said. Indonesia has recorded 1.83 million positive cases, but epidemiologists have long believed the true scale of the spread has been obscured by a lack of testing and contact tracing. One nationwide study between December and January suggested 15% of Indonesians had already contracted COVID-19 - when official figures at the end of January had recorded infections among only around 0.4% of people. Preliminary results of a separate study in Bali, done by the University of Udayana, found 17% of those tested in September and November appeared to have been infected, principal investigator Anak Agung Sagung Sawitri said. That was 53 times higher than the rate of infection based on the cases officially recorded at the time on the tourist island, which is planning to reopen to international visitors next month. The reopening is opposed by some public health experts, including academic and doctor Ady Wirawan. "Testing, tracing, isolation, and quarantine is very, very weak in Bali," he said.
"70% of Population Targeted for Vaccination, Bali Lacks 3.3 Million Doses" from Merdeka: Koster said Bali still lacks 3.3 million doses of vaccine to meet the target of 70% of the population vaccinated. The number of people vaccinated reached 1,325,407 people or 44.18% for the first stage of injection and 636,639 for the second stage of injection or 21.22%. "The number of vaccines that have been given by the Ministery of Health to the Province of Bali has reached 2,742,680 doses as of May 30, 2021," he said. The amount of vaccines allocated to the regencies/cities respectively are: 1) Badung Regency 621,000 doses, 2) Denpasar City 612,376, 3) Gianyar 316,500, 4) Buleleng 261,440, 5) Karangasem 207,500, 6) Tabanan 189,100, 7) Jembrana 138,120, 8) Klungkung 127,700, 9) Bangli 105,080 doses, and 10) Bali Province 163,864 doses. "Badung, Denpasar City, and Gianyar are given priority for the largest number of vaccines because they are centers of high community activity and are tourist destinations," Koster said. According to the target, to achieve herd immunity, 3 million people will be vaccinated (70% of Bali's population, 4.3 million people), so 6 million doses of vaccine are needed.
"Not All Airports Will be Open to Foreign Airlines in Future" from Bali Post (Indonesian): Only certain airports in Indonesia will be opened to foreign airline aircraft (known as the Open Sky system), so when traveling to other cities, domestic airlines must be used. "We have spoken to the Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi, and he supports how later airports in Indonesia cannot all implement the policy of opening airspace, including foreign airlines," said State Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir. The government must be realistic, especially with the Covid-19 condition, it is impossible for all points or airports to be open to foreign airlines. "If several points or airports are opened for Open Sky, then from those airports Garuda Indonesia can then fly to 20 cities in Indonesia," said Thohir. "This is what we are doing and we have seen that some other countries such as the United States and China are also doing the same thing."
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Other Headlines
"Number of Foreign Tourist Visits to Bali Recorded 9 Visits in April 2021, Down 97.63%" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian): Head of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Bali Province, Hanif Yahya, said that foreign tourists who came directly to Bali Province in April 2021 were down 97.63% compared to April 2020 which recorded 379 visits. Meanwhile, the Room Occupancy Rate for star hotels in April 2021 was recorded at 10.09%, a decrease of 0.15 points compared to March 2021 which was recorded at 10.24%. He considered that when compared to April 2020 year on year (yoy) which reached 3.22%, the room occupancy rate in April 2021 was recorded to have increased by 6.87 points. Meanwhile, the ROR for non-star hotels was recorded at 5.65%, an increase of 0.01 points compared to March 2021. "The average length of stay for foreign and domestic guests at five-star hotels in Bali in April 2021 was 2.15 days, an increase of 0.04 points compared to March 2021, which was recorded at 2.11 days. The achievement in April 2020 was recorded at 2.49 days, a decrease of 0.34 points."
Context: Throughout May, Ngurah Rai Airport served 268,540 passengers and 2,343 aircraft.
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Patrols
"Cases Declining, Governor Koster Asks Citizens to Stay Alert" from Bali Post (Indonesian): The development of the spread of Covid-19 in Bali continues to improve. This is marked by a decrease in the number of new cases, an increase in the number of recovered patients, a decrease in mortality, and a decrease in the number of active cases that are still in isolating and being treated in hospitals. The Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, said that the good achievements were thanks to the hard work and joint efforts of the Bali Provincial Government, Bali Police, regional military, regency/city governments, all components of society who have been disciplined in implementing health protocols, and the Banjar-based vaccination program. "Nevertheless, it should be noted and understood that the Covid-19 pandemic in the world and in Indonesia is still very dynamic. The public should not be careless, and should not tire of implementing prokes."
More...
Nation: "Indonesia Cancels Sending Hajj Pilgrims This Year Amid Pandemic" from Antara
Nation: "Covid-19 Cases Among Elderly Tend to Rise Post-Eid: Deputy Minister" from Antara
Nation: "933 Eid Returnees Found Reactive to Covid in Jakarta" from Antara
Province: "Ministry of Health Survey Results, Bali Most Obedient Province for Wearing Masks" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "East Denpasar Becomes the First Green Zone in Denpasar City" from iNews Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Denpasar Yustitsi Team Nets 24 Prokes Violators" from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Karangasem: "Prokes Education at Amlapura Market, Disposable Masks Used Many Times" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
"Bali's Export Performance Increases Drastically" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian): Bali's export performance was worth US$44 million, up 68.47% in April 2021 compared to the same period the previous year. This increase was driven by an increase in exports of fish commodities worth US$12.9 million or 145.98% (yoy), textile goods 111.84% or US$2.6 million (yoy), and apparel 90.3% or US$4, 9 million (yoy). The highest export growth was to Australia at US$3.8 million or 193%. Head of the Bank Indonesia Representative Office (KPw BI) Bali Trisno Nugroho said, "The export potential is quite large in supporting Bali's economic growth when the tourism sector has not fully recovered." Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) Bali office, the cumulative export value in the January-April 2021 period was recorded at US$167 million, down 0.49% (yoy). In contrast to exports, Bali's import performance showed a decline of 41.00% or US$3.2 million in April 2021 (yoy). The deepest decline was contributed by optical equipment commodities -85.64% or US$115,923 (yoy).
More...
Nation: "Indonesia Factory Activity Hits Record High for 3rd Month in Row" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
Nation: "Indonesian Coal Price Hits Nearly Three-year High" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
Province: "Local Brands in Bali Close 50% of Outlets" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Badung: "Art Shops and Other Shops in Kuta Crowded with Over Contracts, But Interest is Quiet" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Karangasem: "Regent Gede Dana Struggles for Karangasem MSMEs to Get Stimulus Funds" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Klungkung: "About Damaged Roads in Nusa Penida, Klungkung Public Works Head Says This" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Tabanan: "Payment of Incentives for Hundreds of Healthcare Workers in Tabanan Six Months in Arrears" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Education
Nation: "Schools Get Ready to Reopen in July Amid Lingering Concerns" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
Karangasem: "In 2021, Karangasem Will Not Recruit Balinese Language and Hindu Religion Teachers" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
"Work From Lombok Is the New Work From Bali, Government Hopes" from Coconuts Bali: With the government keen to get the Work From Bali initiative rolling, there have already been reports about possibilities that the program may later be replicated in other popular tourist areas in Indonesia — including Lombok and Sumbawa in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) — as part of an effort to revive the country’s tourism industry. The possibility is a “breath of fresh air” for NTB officials amid the COVID-19 pandemic, who plan on following Bali’s lead in prepping the region to better comply with health protocols and by vaccinating tourism workers. “It doesn’t rule out the possibility that other tourist regions will see the same policy implemented, such as Work From Lombok or Work From Labuan Bajo,” Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said.
The View from Outside
"Bali Plans to Open to Foreign Tourists Starting Next Month, But List of Countries in TCA Program 'Not Updated'" from ABC News Indonesian (Indonesian): The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) announced in a statement that the government will reopen some of its borders to foreign tourists starting in July. According to the plan, tourist destinations such as Bali, Batam, and Bintan will become "locomotive" areas, which are expected to restart tourism in the country "if the pandemic is handled as well as expected". "In preparation, the government has carried out an extensive vaccination program for target groups, including tourism workers," the Ministry of Tourism said. Before the pandemic hit, Australian tourists were the main source of tourists to Bali in 2019, followed by tourists from China. But Australians should forget about buying the famous Bintang inscribed t-shirt, as the Australian Government does not plan to open its borders for international travel until next year.
Context: The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) has not yet released an official statement saying that the borders will be partially reopened in July. The statement circulating, which has also been picked up by other Australian media, was distributed by PR Newswire, not by Kemenparekraf's official news channel, and uses indefinite language such as "looking to" and "plans to."
Some Covid Context
The South East Asia Travel Show Ep. 73: Will Bali Reopen in July? with Stuart McDonald: Hosts Gary and Hannah welcome back Stuart McDonald, Bali-based founder of Travelfish, to talk all things travel and tourism in Bali and beyond. Bali originally planned to reopen to international tourists last September, but that was postponed. It’s now aiming for July 2021, but will it happen? Much relies on two things, getting sufficient residents vaccinated and finding inbound markets that will permit their citizens to visit Bali. Stuart discusses how COVID-19 has impacted travel businesses and daily life around Bali, the outlook for domestic tourism, and the current economic situation in Bali and Indonesia.
*Note: You can also find the episode in your favorite podcast app by searching for “South East Asia Travel Show,” or you can listen to it on the program’s website here. If you’ve heard a podcast or watched a video that you think can inform issues that we are facing here in Bali, let us know at TheBaliBeat@outlanders.global.
Of Interest
"Traffic Police to Enforce Demerit Points System With License Suspension or Cancellation as Penalty" from Coconuts Jakarta
"Batik-clad Baswedan, Dutch Ambassador Cycle on World Bicycle Day" from Antara
"110 Female Cyclists Will Tour Bali to Join WeXtra Kapolda Cup 2021, Travel Distance Up to 369 Km" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
"Appointment of Celebrity Couple Raffi-Nagita as ‘Icons’ for Papua-hosted National Games Panned for Cultural Appropriation" from Coconuts Jakarta
"Huge 6.1 Earthquake in Ternate, Vibrations Felt Until Manado" from Suara Bali (Indonesian)
"No End in Sight: Sidoarjo Mudflow Continues to Drown Hopes, 15 Years On" from The Jakarta Post
"SMKN 1 Klungkung Student Dies in Accident After Graduation Convoy" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
"Stealing Greek Woman's Motorcycle, Lombok Student Arrested in Bali" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
"Depressed Tourist Found in Bali, Taken to Mental Health Facility" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
"Immigration Has Found Location of Pornographic Videos Involving Foreigners, Believed to be Still in Bali" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Weekend Reads
"Artists, Environment and Truth Telling in Indonesia" from Pursuit
"The Many Forks in the Path to Become Indonesia’s First Social Commerce Unicorn" from The Ken (Metered Paywall)
"Selling Newspapers in the Digital Era: a Story of Two Lifers" from The Jakarta Post
"Creativity and Crisis: Teaching Indonesian in Australian Schools" from Pursuit
"What Happened to the KRI Nanggala-402?" from Hukum
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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