May 11, 2021

Bali will open in July despite new variants says dep. gov. + 2 foreigners deported in a week, all violations will be dealt with firmly says gov. + Province to become national clean energy area + more!

May 10, 2021

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PUBLICATION NOTICE: Due to the Eid holiday, there will be no morning edition on Thursday and Friday, but the evening Covid-19 updates will continue as normal.

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: There was a big drop in new Covid-19 cases in Bali yesterday (74), just like we saw during the previous 2 weekends (Sunday, May 2: 86 cases; Sunday, April 25: 66 cases). The 7-day average edged down to 118, the lowest since December 29. Deaths, however, remained high (7). May fatalities are now tracking just below February’s (78 vs. 83), which was the deadliest month so far.

Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers. And in case you missed it, check out Sunday’s update for a summary of last week’s overall totals, with perspective on how they stack up against previous weeks + detailed breakdowns of the virus’ spread on a Regency-by-Regency level.

The Big News

"Despite New Covid-19 Variants, Bali is Still Opening to International Tourism in July" from Kompas (Indonesian): The emergence of two cases of the new Covid-19 variant from South Africa (B1351) and the British variant (B117) has not affected Bali’s plans to open to international tourism in July. Deputy Governor Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati said, "We are not at the stage where we need to shift the target, there are still a few months ahead. A few days ago I met with Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin to say we're holding on to our focus in July." According to Cok Ace, the Bali provincial government is making a number of preparations for the opening in July, such as visas and insurance-related arrangements for tourists. Even so, he predicts foreign tourist arrivals in July 2021 will not be significant. Cok Ace admitted that he still had high hopes for tourists from China.

Context: The most recent announcement from China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism was made on 1 February 2021, reminding Chinese citizens that they should not leave the country for any non-emergency reason. Recently, a group of 85 Chinese citizens who arrived in Jakarta caused a stir on social media, as thousands of Indonesians accused the government of allowing foreigners to enter the country and move freely during the mudik ban. However, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights’ Director General of Immigration said the Chinese arrivals were here to work on national strategic projects, not for tourism purposes. Bali received 1.2 million Chinese tourists in 2019.

"Two Foreigners Deported in a Week, Governor Koster Gives This 'Warning'" from Bali Post (Indonesian): In the past week, two foreigners have caught the attention of the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster. Namely, a Russian citizen who painted her face with the image of a mask, and the Canadian organizer of the "Tantric Full Body Orgasm" event. The Governor of Bali paid special attention to this issue and asked the Regional Head of the Bali Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to take firm action. He also gave a warning to all foreigners visiting Bali. They are advised to always behave in an orderly manner by respecting the laws and cultural values of the Balinese people. "Every violation will be dealt with firmly in order to uphold the honor and dignity of the country in front of the world." Governor Koster also appealed to the public in all areas of Bali to proactively monitor and report to the authorities any activities carried out by foreigners that violate the laws and cultural values of the Balinese people.

"The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Asks Bali to Start Switching to Using Clean Energy" from Liputan 6 (Indonesian): Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Arifin Tasrif, asked the Bali Provincial Government to start discussing the use of new renewable energy (EBT). This is because up until 2030, Bali will still rely on energy from fossil fuels. The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan asked local governments to support government programs in creating a clean environment. "This is related to the joint agreement between the provincial government of Bali and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) regarding the establishment of Bali Province as the national clean energy area (KNEB)," said Luhut. Responding to this, Bali Governor Wayan Koster admitted that he would support the central government program.

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Other Headlines

"4,123 of 6,742 Mudik Travelers Randomly Selected for Testing Have Covid-19" from Coconuts Jakarta: If there’s any stat that justifies the government’s Eid homecoming mudik ban this year, it’s this one. Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto, who also heads the National Economic Recovery and COVID-19 Response Team, said in a press conference today that the majority of mudik travelers randomly tested for COVID-19 at traffic checkpoints have the viral disease. Of those, the majority were sent home for self-isolation, while 75 were hospitalized. The minister did not specify which COVID-19 testing method was used. Airlangga added that since the mudik ban came into force on May 6, more than 41,000 vehicles have been told to turn around at checkpoints set up along inter-provincial toll roads.

Vaccination Update

"Single Shot Under Gotong Royong Scheme to Cost Rp500,000" from Antara: The Indonesian government has set the price for Sinopharm and CanSino vaccines that will be provided under the Gotong Royong Vaccination Program at Rp500,000 per shot. The price comprises Rp375,000 as the cost of each vaccine dose and Rp125,000 as the cost of inoculation, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto said. Based on Indonesian Health Ministry Regulation No.10/2021 on the Gotong Royong Vaccination Scheme, all costs will be borne by participating companies, as detailed on the government's website www.covid19.go.id. "This Gotong Royong vaccination program will get started at the end of May (2021),” the minister said, adding that the government has signed a contract with Sinopharm for 7.5 million doses and with CanSino for five million vaccine doses.

More...

Nation: "Indonesia Seeks to Vaccinate One Million People in June" from Antara
Nation: "Over 13.47 Million Indonesians Vaccinated Against Covid-19" from Antara
Bangli: "Nearly 50% of People in Bangli Are Vaccinated" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Klungkung: "Regency Government to Increase Vaccination in the Nusa Penida Region" from Republika (Indonesian)

Health Protocols (Prokes) & Patrols

"NTB Produces Antigen Rapid Test Tool Called Entram" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian): West Nusa Tenggara's test device is produced by the Bumi Gora Hepatic Laboratory, and as many as 4,800 units have started to be distributed to 9 districts/cities in NTB. Head of the Hepatic Laboratory, Bumo Gora Mulyanto, who leads the production of the Entram antigen rapid test kit, explained that this original NTB product has gone through various phases of clinical trials. "The test results show that the accuracy is very high, even higher than the existing commercial antigen rapid test kits." The Entram test has a distribution permit and will be registered in the national e-catalog. NTB is currently capable of producing 50,000 Entrams in one month, and there are already 10,000 devices ready for use. NTB Governor Zulkieflimansyah explained that the Entram rapid test was the result of an industrialization program that is the focus of NTB's economic development.

More...

Nation: "PPKM Mikro Extended Again Until 31 May 2021" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Nation: "Number of Homebound Travelers Down Significantly: Minister" from Antara
Nation: "The Minister Of Transportation Prepares Scheme to Prevent Spread Of Covid-19 During Backflow" from Bali Prawara (Indonesian)
Badung: "Not Fulfilling Requirements During the Prohibition of Homecoming, Bali Ngurah Rai Airport Rejects 30 Prospective Passengers" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Badung: "Operating Beyond Time Limits, Four Nightlife Spots in Kuta Have Been Prosecuted" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Yustisi Team Denpasar Conduct Antigen Rapid Test on 13 Prokes Violators" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Jembrana: "Another Fake Rapid Test Maker Arrested in Gilimanuk" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Jembrana: "41 People Are Intercepted at Gilimanuk Jembrana Heading to Java" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)

Economy & Infrastructure

"Traditional Villages in Bali Establish Business Entities" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian): Traditional villages in Bali are encouraged to form business entities that drive the economic sector according to the potential of their respective regions. In preparation, the Bali local government together with the Bali Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) are starting to draft a regional regulation that will regulate customary village-owned enterprises. Head of the Bali Indigenous Empowerment Service, I Gusti Agung Ketut Kartika Jaya Saputra, said that out of 1,493 traditional villages in Bali, only 137 of them have developed business units. In fact, traditional villages in Bali have sufficient resources to develop economic enterprises that are expected to make the community prosperous.

More...

Province: "Bali's Tourism Recovery Relies on Grants and Soft Loans" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)

West Papua Watch

"Indonesian Police Arrest Papuan Independence Figure for Suspected Treason" from Reuters: Indonesian authorities have arrested Papuan independence leader Victor Yeimo over accusations that he orchestrated some of the most serious civil unrest in decades that broke out in 2019, police said. Tension has reignited in recent weeks in Indonesia’s easternmost provinces, with President Joko Widodo calling for a crackdown after a senior intelligence figure was shot dead late last month, and with an additional 400 troops deployed there. Yeimo, 38, who is the international spokesman of the West Papua National Committee, was arrested in the provincial capital of Jayapura on Sunday and is being questioned. In a development that has alarmed rights activists, Indonesia’s chief security minister has announced that armed Papuan separatists can be legally designated “terrorists”, and prosecuted under the counter-terrorism law. Yeimo’s arrest could inflame the situation further, said Indonesian human rights lawyer Veronica Koman. “Since the news broke that he (Yeimo) was arrested, many West Papuans have already announced that they will take to the streets to demand his release,” she said.

"Buleleng is Prone to Landslides and Flash Floods" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): The potential for land movement to have a catastrophic impact in Buleleng is very high due to the hilly topography of the entire Buleleng area. As many as nine sub-districts in Buleleng were declared to have the potential to experience soil movement which could have an impact on landslides. Even eight of them have medium to high potential. The potential for land shifting disasters was mapped by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation at the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. Chief Executive of the Buleleng Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Putu Ariadi Pribadi, said the mapping was released in early May 2021 to anticipate potential disasters that could occur at any time.

"Man Tasked With Guarding ATM Allegedly Stole IDR500 Million" from Coconuts Bali: A 34-year-old man in charge of supervising the refilling of ATM machines in Denpasar has been arrested for allegedly stealing half a billion rupiah while on duty. Denpasar City Police Chief Jansen Avitus Panjaitan said today that the suspect, identified as RP, was tasked by PT SSI with overseeing the refilling of ATM machines from state-owned bank BRI. “The suspect embezzled the funds that he was supposed to supervise,” Jansen said, adding that the stolen amount exceeded IDR530 million (US$37,315). The police said RP was able to manipulate the ATM machines to display an error message. He would later be deployed to check and fix the error, and, with access to the safe lock code and by using various tools, including pliers, RP is able to pull out the cash cassette from the bottom of the machine and carefully take the money out as he wished.

Of Interest

"Indonesia, China Hold Joint Military Exercise Near Jakarta" from Antara
"Indonesia Condemns Deadly Attacks in Afghanistan" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
"Covid-19: Indonesia Sends Aid to Ease India's Oxygen Emergency" from Antara
"President Jokowi Under Fire for Promoting Kalimantan Roast Pork Dish for Lebaran" from Coconuts Jakarta
"What Quarter-life Crisis? Indonesians Reject Pressure to Financially Succeed by 25" from Coconuts Jakarta
"Klungkung Health Office Traces Dozens of Victims of Rabid Dog Bites" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
"Jakarta Man, 22, Dies From Suspected Blood Clotting Following AstraZeneca Shot" from Coconuts Jakarta

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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