May 17, 2021
Ban on private vehicle travel extended to May 24 + Bali tires of badly behaved foreign social media influencers + 450,000 AstraZeneca doses suspended after post-vaccine death, Bali unaffected + more!
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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: This past weekend saw the lowest single-day totals in six months. Friday (47) and Saturday (45) were the lowest totals since November 10’s 44 cases. Last Thursday and Friday were national holidays for Eid, and as we’ve consistently seen, reporting of cases drops significantly during local and national holidays. With fewer deaths recorded over the last few days, May is no longer tracking as closely to February (the deadliest month so far) as it was at the start of the month.
Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers, which includes a look back at last week’s overall totals.
The Big News
"Polri Extends Vehicle Turnback Sanctions During Homecoming Prohibition until May 24" from Kompas (Indonesian): The Indonesian National Police (Polri) will extend the sanctions for turning around travelers' vehicles. Kombes Rudy Antariksawan, Head of the Korlantas Ops Section, said this would be done even though Operation Ketupat 2021 was planned to end on Monday. Operation Ketupat will be continued with Enhanced Routine Activities (KRYD), and vehicles of travelers passing through the insulation posts will be subject to a U-turn until May 24.
Context: Although the extension has been reported elsewhere as applying to all forms of travel, it only applies to private vehicles and not other forms of transport.
"‘Have a Little Empathy’: Bali Tires of Badly Behaved Foreign Influencers" from The Guardian: A Russian Instagrammer who launched his motorbike off a dock, crashing into the sea. Two YouTube pranksters who fooled a supermarket guard with drawn-on face masks, violating the island’s health rules. A couple allegedly filming porn on a sacred mountain. Bali has hosted a range of badly behaved influencers during the pandemic. And now it’s had enough. While some countries sent foreign travellers home as Covid began to spread, Indonesia allowed visitors to remain. Yet, one year on since the start of the pandemic, police say many foreign tourists still show flagrant disregard for the local health protocols. “Yes, the foreigner brings income for us. But their action will risk the local who works to serve them as well. Can they have a little empathy?” said Balinese politician and designer Niluh Djelantik, who fears their behaviour is jeopardising Bali’s chances of restarting its tourism industry.
"Indonesia Suspends 450,000 AstraZeneca Vaccine Doses Over Post-Vaccination Death" from The Jakarta Globe: The Health Ministry has suspended the distribution of the doses and submitted the batch to Indonesia's drug authority for further tests following the death of a 22-year-old man who took the vaccine shot 11 days ago. The Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) will conduct toxicity and sterility tests on the batch before clearing it for use, Widyawati, the Health Ministry's head of communication and community service, said. "Not all of the AstraZeneca vaccine batches were suspended. Only Batch CTMAV547 was temporarily suspended pending the results of investigations and testing from BPOM, which may take one to two weeks."
Context: The head of Bali's Provincial Health Office has confirmed that all AstraZeneca vaccines that have been sent to Bali did not include the suspended batch CTMAV547. Last Monday we included this story about the central government, through the National Covid-19 Task Force, stating that it would continue the use of AstraZeneca despite the reported post-vaccination death.
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Other Headlines
"Covid-19 Case Spike Looms as Millions Skirt 'Mudik' Ban" from The Jakarta Post: The government believes more than 1 million people have gone on mudik (exodus) trips over the Idul Fitri holiday despite the ongoing ban and is screening returning travelers as it anticipates a spike in COVID-19 cases. Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said that more than 1.5 million people had managed to return to their hometowns despite the mudik ban imposed between May 6 and 17, about a week before and after Idul Fitri, which fell on May 13 this year. The figure, while smaller than the ministry's previous predictions that were based on its surveys, remains a looming concern given the dramatic increase in cases seen after previous public holidays in the country and the detection of highly transmissible virus variants. "What we're doing is not yet perfect, but we're working with other ministries and institutions to avoid another wave of COVID-19 cases as seen after the New Year holiday," Budi said.
Vaccination Update
Nation: "8,970,715 Indonesian Citizens Have Received the Complete Dose of Vaccine" from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Buleleng: "Provincial Task Force Ensures Vaccination Progress in Buleleng" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Hundreds of Cooleng Market Traders Receive Second Dose of Vaccine" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Karangasem: "The Karangasem Regency Government Received Additional Vaccines From the Governor of Bali" from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Karangasem: "Karangasem Health Office Targeting Residents of Four Villages in Bebandem District" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Tabanan: "Tabanan Will Complete Dose II Vaccination in 3 Villages" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Patrols
Province: "Results of Lockdown in Bali: 35,601 Vehicles Inspected, 396 Requested for Turnbacks and 16 Illegal Shuttles" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Prokes Violation Fines in Denpasar Reach Rp.57.9 Million" from Bisnis (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Wearing Masks Incorrectly, 6 People Push Up Sanctions" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Bangli: "Attention Task Force for Prokes Violators in Kintamani" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Buleleng: "Police Thwarted Dozens of Sea Route Travelers" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Jembrana: "Peak of Backflow on May 16 and 20, Ministry of Transportation and Police Conduct Random Rapid Test at Gilimanuk Bali" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Tabanan: "Tabanan Is Back in the Red Zone, Tourist Attractions Are Closed During Eid" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
"Weak in the Use of Information Technology, it is Difficult for Bali MSMEs to Compete in the International Market" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): Based on field observations in Bona Village, Blahbatuh District, Gianyar Regency, head of Community Service, Faculty of Economics and Business at Warmadewa University, I Gede Nyoman Carlos, found that the "mandate" constraint of the MSME business process was that they did not have books to calculate profit and loss, cost of production and recording of assets owned, and did not have SOPs, both related to raw materials and flow in the production process. "Marketing is carried out only with individuals, because of the low knowledge of the use of the e-commerce system. According to Carlos, MSMEs are by far the largest contributor to GDP in Indonesia. If MSMEs can be managed properly, they will be able to make an extraordinary contribution to a country's domestic income.
Context: According to government data, up until March, Indonesia had 64.2 million MSMEs, with the sector employing 97% of Indonesia’s workforce and accounting for about 61.07% of the country’s GDP, or Rp.8,573.9 trillion.
More...
Denpasar: "Preparation for Medical Tourism at Sanglah Hospital Denpasar" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Jembrana: "Construction of the F1 Circuit in Jembrana to Realize the Desires of the Late Taufiq Kiemas" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Klungkung: "Port Development in Nusa Penida Is Targeted to Be Completed in 2022" from Suara Bali (Indonesian)
Education
"To Increase Capacity, Denpasar is Asked to Build More State Junior High Schools" from Bali Post: The number of public schools in Denpasar is still less than the number of graduate students. In 2021 alone, there are around 13,000 elementary school graduates, but the quota for 14 state junior high schools is only 9,000. Chairman of Commission IV Denpasar DPRD I Wayan Duaja, recently said the Denpasar City Government needed to build more schools. So that the capacity is more adequate. Duaja said that his party sees that there are still disparities in the number of schools available at the junior high school level. With a large number of students in the southern region, his party supports the plan to build SMPN 15 in Sidakarya.
"Two Bali Travel Agents Sued by British Companies" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian): British insurance company Allied World Managing Agency Limited filed a lawsuit in the case of the Gili Cat II ship explosion which caused serious injuries to three foreign tourists while on vacation in Bali in 2016. It was filed in the Denpasar District Court against two local travel agents PT Bagja Kumbara Nusantara (Defendant I) and PT Samudera Ekspedisi Aman (Defendant II). The plaintiff's Attorney M. Iqbal Hadromi said that Defendant I was the party who was responsible for the losses due to the ship explosion incident. This is because Defendant I arranged holiday packages for the three British tourists. "Defendant I also pointed out the use of the ship, so that in this incident there was an element of negligence in the selection of the ship," he said. Responding to the lawsuit, at the end of March 2021 the Denpasar District Court had tried to reconcile the parties, and failed to reach an agreement.
"Most Mask Users in Indonesia Are in Bali, Lowest in Aceh" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): This is known from the results of a survey conducted by the University of Maryland's Joint Survey Methodology Program in collaboration with Facebook. "As many as 86% of Indonesians surveyed in March reported that they always or mostly wear masks when in public. The highest use of masks is Bali 92% and the lowest is Aceh 72%," read the survey report which was also reported to the Ministry of Health.
"Uncovering the Causes of the Rise of Suicide Cases in Bali" from Liputan 6: In the last two months there have been quite a number of suicides in Bali among Balinese residents and foreign citizens (WNA). More than a few of these cases were experienced by children and women. Siti Sapura, a lawyer and women's and children's rights activist, said, "Many children have to go to school online in a state of stress. Try to imagine children in rural areas who have to think about getting a cellphone, quotas and maintaining a stable signal so that they can do school work. It becomes a burden for them. The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that many family heads have been laid off. Not to mention the lenders or leasing companies who do not provide relief for those who have loans such as motorbikes, cars or other loans, which in turn make the creditors take goods that cannot be paid for. While there are still many matters that must be resolved in the family, it is sad if the economy during the pandemic triggers suicide," she said.
"Indonesian Fishing Crew Rescued Off Australia's West Coast" from Agence France-Presse: The crew of an Indonesian fishing trawler that was "clinging to their vessel" in bad weather has been rescued. The boat had started sinking in the Indian Ocean on Thursday with 20 crew members on board, said Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton. Australian air force planes dropped life rafts for the crew, stranded 670 nautical miles west of Perth, before a Japanese fishing vessel picked them up on Saturday. The survivors were transferred to the Australian navy ship HMAS Anzac on Saturday afternoon. "The fishermen are receiving medical support," Dutton said. "One requires urgent care and will be transferred by Anzac's embarked MH-60R helicopter to a Perth hospital when in range of the coast tonight." The ship will then take the remaining fishermen to their home port in Bali, where they are expected to arrive late next week.
Of Interest
"Eid Al-fitr Holidays, Sanur Beach Remains a Favorite Destination for Domestic Tourists" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
"Identity Politics 'Bursting', Indonesia's Democracy Index Dropped" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
"Jakarta Most Threatened by Environmental Risks Among World's Major Cities: Study" from The Jakarta Globe
"In the Aftermath of a Used Antigen Test Kit at Kualanamu, All the Directors of Kimia Farma Diagnostika Were Fired" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
"Mount Rinjani Climb Reopens" from Republika (Indonesian)
"This is the Meaning of the Tilem Jyesta that Comes Once a Year in Balinese Hinduism" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
"Deputy Head of Badung Checks Residents who Allegedly Ate Poisoned Pork in Mekar Bhuwana Village" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
"Because of Hearing This, Cow Enters a Hotel in Kuta" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
"Kerobokan Bali Prison Up to 500% Over Capacity" from Suara Bali (Indonesian)
"Four Victims Killed As A Result Of Firecracker Explosion" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
"Rabies Spread, Demand for Dog Vaccinations Increase" from Bali Post (Indonesian)
"At Least Seven Dead in Central Java Boat Selfie Accident" from Agence France-Presse
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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