March 31, 2022
100% face-to-face teaching restarts in Bali on April 1 + Indonesia seeks longer vaccination shelf life as 19m shots expire + Prices of staples rising ahead of Ramadan says traders + more
Good morning!
Welcome to The Bali Beat for Thursday, March 31. In today’s edition, we have news that Bali is going back to school from April 1. Elsewhere, capacity limits are being lifted for houses of worship in regions at PPKM level 1. Nationwide, prices of staples, including cooking oil and sugar are inching up in the run up to Ramadan. Scroll down for the full wrap on what has been happening in Bali and Indonesia since you last heard from us.
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Weather & Tides
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Daily Covid Update
National Figures
Local Figures
The Big News
“100% Face to Face Teaching in Bali Will Start on April 1” from Kompas (Indonesian): The head of the Provincial Youth and Sports Education Office Bali, Ketut Ngurah Boy Jayawibawa said Face-to-face Learning (PTM) with a capacity of 100% in Bali will be implemented starting April 1. "For PTM 100% starting in early April, everything from elementary, junior high, to high school or vocational level," said Ngurah Boy on Wednesday. As for some rules, PTM is held every day, students attend 100%, and the duration of learning is a maximum of six hours every day. However, the canteen at the school is still closed and extracurricular activities are still eliminated. Ngurah Boy said, the booster vaccine is not used as a requirement in the implementation of PTM 100. "I don't think it is necessary (booster vaccine requirements), the achievement of vaccination is already high. So it's not a problem anymore," he said.
“Indonesia Seeks Longer Vaccination Shelf Life as 19 Million Covid Shots Expire” from Reuters: Nineteen million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Indonesia's national stockpile have expired this year and 1.5 million more are set to expire next month, as donated shots arrive with a short shelf life, a health official said on Wednesday. Indonesia and many other developing nations are ramping up their vaccination campaign, aided by donations from wealthy countries, but they have been calling for donations with a longer shelf life. Lucia Rizka Andalusia, a senior health ministry official, told a parliamentary hearing that of the 19.3 million doses that expired between January and March, 97% were donated. Most of the expired doses were AstraZeneca's shot, and they also included Moderna's, she said.
“Prices of Cooking Oil and Sugar Rising Ahead of Ramadan Says Traders” from Tempo: The Indonesian Market Traders Association (Ikappi) said prices of several commodities increased in line with the rising demand. They are garlic, chicken meat, eggs, sugar, cooking oil, and beef meat. Ikappi Deputy Secretary-General Teguh Stiawan argued that the prices could not be prevented from rising due to the drop in the distribution of cooking oil and sugar. “Bulk cooking oil, which is usually distributed three to four times per week, is now only twice per week, while the distribution of sugar has decreased by up to 40%,” said Teguh on Tuesday. Based on Ikappi's report, the price of bulk cooking oil reaches IDR 19,000-20,000 per liter, while that of sugar is in the range of IDR 15,000 per kilogram.
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Other Headlines
“Jokowi: Indonesia's Food Security Threatened by Climate Change” from CNN Indonesia (Indonesian): President Joko Widodo revealed that Indonesia's food security is threatened by climate change, and he said Indonesia is dealing with the real impacts of climate change. According to him, extreme weather will occur more often and accompanied by high risk. The condition of Indonesia as an agrarian country is very disadvantaged by this situation. "The frequency, intensity, and duration of geohidrometeorological disasters will increase. The adaptability of crops and crop productivity is decreasing and this threatens food security in our country," Jokowi said on Wednesday.
Vaccination Update
“Klungkung Still Makes Boosters a Condition for Face-to-face” from Tribun Bali (Indonesian): - The Klungkung Education, Youth and Sports Office continues to use the third stage of vaccinations as a condition of holding PTM on April 1. This is despite the Ministry of Education and Culture stating that vaccination is not a requirement to conduct limited face-to-face learning or assessment activities. Head of Klungkung Education Office I Ketut Sujana explained that in Klungkung PTM, it is planned to be held on April 1. Each village must also pursue booster vaccination coverage above 50%, so that schools in its territory can carry out PTM. According to him, this is a special strategy for the Regional Government to achieve vaccination achievement targets.
More...
Nation: “21.7 Million Indonesians Have Received Booster Dose” from Antara
Province: “Booster Vaccination in Bali Province Is Over 50% Target” from Republika (Indonesian)
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Health Services
“Capacity Limit Lifted for Level 1 PPKM Houses of Worship” from Antara: The Religious Affairs Ministry has issued Circular Number 06/2022 on Religious Activities in Places of Worship, allowing places of worship in regions with Level 1 PPKM to open at 100% capacity. "Places of worship in districts and cities with Level 1 PPKM can hold congregational worship activities at 100% capacity by implementing the health protocols," Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said on Wednesday. The circular also regulates the capacity of places of worship in regions with levels 2 and 3 PPKM. According to the circular, the capacity of places of worship in regions with Level 2 PPKM is capped at 75% and Level 3 PPKM at 50%.
More...
Province: “10,020 Prokes Offenders Netted Since 2020, IDR 312,800,000 Collected in Fines” from Bali Prawara (Indonesian)
Province: “Ramadan in Transition Period, Citizens Are Reminded to Remain Disciplined With Prokes” from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
“Government-set Biodiesel Per-liter Price Touches IDR 15,559 for April” from Antara: The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has set the market index price of biodiesel for April at IDR 15,559 per liter. "The market index price of biodiesel for April is IDR 15,559 per liter plus transport cost that takes effect on April 1," Director General of New and Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Dadan Kusdiana said on Wednesday. The market price of biodiesel for April 2022 represented a 7.77% increase as compared to March 2022 when the price was recorded at IDR 14,436 per litter. The biodiesel market index price hike was attributed to an increase in the average price of crude palm oil during the March 25-April 24 period, that reached IDR 16,665 per kilogram.
Context: In related news, there are growing demands for the government to secure diesel fuel availability before the beginning of Ramadan. Elsewhere, there have been mixed signals regarding a hike in the price of Pertamax (Indonesian). Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said high oil prices are weighing on the budget.
More...
Nation: “Soekarno-Hatta Airport Raises PCR Testing Capacity Amid Crowded Terminal 3” from Coconuts Jakarta
Nation: “Foreign Affairs Ministry Invites More Qatari Investment in Indonesia” from Antara
Nation: “Some 28,000 Tons of Cooking Oil Distributed Following Decree Issuance” from Antara
Nation: “Indonesia Revokes Forest Concession Permits Covering Over 400,000 Hectares” from Reuters
Education
“Madrasas Included in National Education System Bill Says Minister” from Antara: Madrasas under the Religious Affairs Ministry's authority will remain included in the National Education System Bill, according to Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim. There is no desire or plan to remove madrasas or other forms of educational units from the National Education System, he said on Wednesday. He also dismissed the idea as nonsensical and said it never once crossed their minds. Minister Makarim emphasized that both schools and madrasas would substantially remain a part of educational institutions regulated by the revised National Education System Bill. He said that they were offering flexibility, as the law would not limit educational units based on their type or titles.
Bali Reopening
“Tour Guides Begin to See More Work” from Tribun Bali (Indonesian): The arrival of foreign tourists to Bali makes Bali tourism more lively again. Regarding this, I Nyoman Nuarta as Chairman of DPD HPI (Indonesian Tourism Association) Bali, said that since the Covid-19 pandemic these two years, the guides or tourists have not worked. "After almost two years, the guides who are members of DPD HPI BALI do not work as tour guides because of the outbreak of Covid-19 in Bali," he said on Wednesday. "From March 7 until now the guides have not received maximum work, this must be realized because guests who come to Bali are still mostly through online," he said. But in the future, he remains optimistic that in the past three months the need for tour guides is increasing.
More...
“Turkish Airlines First From Europe to Resume Flights to Bali” from Coconuts Bali
Of Interest
“Strong Earthquakes Hit Indonesia's Lampung, Maluku” from Tempo
“French National Deported After Serving Time in Custody for Possession of Meth and Firearms” from Bali Prawara (Indonesian)
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