May 3, 2021
Singapore-Bali flights postponed due to India Covid variant + 79,100 workers furloughed, 3,300 dismissed in Bali during pandemic + Air arrivals, bus departures increase ahead of mudik ban + 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: There was a big fall in new Covid-19 cases in Bali yesterday (86) after Saturday's 142. Last Sunday's total (66) also indicated that the "Weekend Effect," where reduced testing capacity may result in reduced case reporting, has a big impact on the numbers. Recoveries also dropped (98).
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
"Singapore Airlines Flights into Bali Have Been Delayed" from Bali Post (Indonesian): The plan to operate the Singapore Airlines flight on the Singapore-Denpasar-Singapore route twice a week starting Tuesday May 4 has been postponed. Head of the Bali Provincial Tourism Office, I Putu Astawa, said the cancellation was to prevent the entry of new variants of COVID-19 from India to Indonesia, and Bali in particular. Although various preparations for the health protocol (Prokes) for the welcome of the Singapore Airlines flights had been carried out, his party did not question the cancellation. According to him, the most important thing now is how to prevent the new variant of COVID-19 from entering Indonesia, and Bali in particular.
Context: In late April we ran this story about the Singapore Airlines flights scheduled to commence on May 4 not being part of Bali’s proposed travel bubble, and the route is limited to those eligible to enter Indonesia such as Indonesian nationals, holders of temporary or permanent residence visas (KITAS/KITAP), or an APEC Business Travel Card.
"79,100 Workers in Bali Furloughed, 3,300 Dismissed During the Covid-19 Pandemic" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian): According to the Head of the Department of Manpower and Energy and Mineral Resources of Bali Province, Ida Bagus Ngurah Arda, data on the wave of workers who were furloughed and dismissed in Bali has not shown a decreasing graph even though the Covid -19 vaccination for tourism actors has been carried out. Although he did not specify the number of workers who were dismissed and laid off in each Regency/City, he confirmed that Badung Regency occupies the top position in the number of workers who were laid off and dismissed.
"The Last 3 Days of Passenger Traffic at Ngurah Rai Airport Have Increased" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian): Stakeholder Relations Manager of PT Angkasa Pura I (Persero), I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport Bali Office, Taufan Yudhistira, said, "Looking at the data for the last 3 days until Friday, April 30, there has been an increase." On Friday, April 30, Taufan said Ngurah Rai Airport serve about 11,000 passengers; 5,636 passenger arrivals and 5,439 departures. "But there is usually an increase in passengers on weekends. Moreover, this is before the Mudik Prohibition Period and it was the [May Day] weekend."
Context: Bus departures have also increased dramatically at Mengwi Terminal. Usually, the number of daily departing passengers reaches 300 to 400 but has increased to between 700 and 800. The highest number of departures recorded so far was on April 25, reaching 959 passengers departing for Java on a total of 40 buses. On the other hand, passenger arrivals totaled 358 on 12 buses. Coordinator of the Mengwi Terminal Satpel, Achmad Erwin, said that the surge will last until May 4, and that all buses from Bali to Java are fully booked.
>> Classifieds <<
Community is so important - especially in times like these. If you’re looking to connect with the community of dedicated, engaged people in Bali who’ve stayed during this pandemic, you can reach them with a classified ad in this space. Check out this page to find out how.
Other Headlines
"Social Media Influencers Kicked Out of Bali for Face-mask Prank" from Agence France-Presse: A pair of social media influencers will be booted from Bali over a prank video that featured one sporting a painted-on virus mask that broke Covid-19 rules. Authorities in Bali said that they would deport US-based Taiwanese YouTuber Josh Paler Lin and Russian influencer Leia Se over the stunt that went viral. The clip sparked outrage in Bali, where virus cases and deaths have been climbing. "We plan to deport them," said Jamaruli Manihuruk, head of Bali's legal and justice office. "It has to wait until flights to their respective countries are available — hopefully soon."
Vaccination Update
"Sinopharm Gets EUA in Indonesia, Cleared for Use in Private Covid-19 Vaccination Program" from The Jakarta Globe: The Food and Drug Supervisory Agency, or BPOM, has greenlighted the Covid-19 vaccine produced by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm for emergency use in Indonesia, in a move that could accelerate the country’s vaccination program. Sinopharm was the first among several vaccines private sectors proposed to use in their vaccination program that got clearance from the agency. Sinopharm’s third phase clinical result showed that its Covid-19 vaccine has 79% efficacy — meaning the proportion of infection among vaccinated people is about a fifth of the proportion of infection among those who were not vaccinated. The private sector was keen to carry out a separate vaccination program to accelerate the vaccination rate in the country. Delays in shipments from vaccine producers and lack of domestic vaccine bottling capacity had stuttered the government’s vaccination program, with only 11.3 million, or 6.2% of its eligible population getting at least the first dose of vaccine so far.
More...
Nation: "Indonesia Receives 10 Million Doses of Covid Vaccine in Four Days" from The Jakarta Globe
Nation: "7,667,583 Indonesian Citizens Have Been Completely Vaccinated" from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Province: "After Running Out of Covid-19 Vaccine, Bali Province Received Another 157,200 Doses of Sinovac Vaccine" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Bangli: "80 Village Officials Received Covid-19 Vaccination at Kintamani III Health Center" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Patrols
Badung: "Preventing Travelers, Badung Police Strictly Checking Vehicles at the Border" from iNews Bali
(Indonesian)
Buleleng: "Family Clusters Still Appear, The Task Force Asks Villages to Seriously Watch Over Residents" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Jembrana: "Port Passengers are Enthusiastic in Welcoming GeNose Service as a Substitute for the Rapid Test" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Tabanan: "Breaking Prokes, Tabanan Residents Were Sentenced to Push-ups and a Fine of Rp. 100,000" from Suara Bali (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
"Pros and Cons of the Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road Mega Project" from Tribun Bali (Indonesian): It is said that the ±96.21 km megaproject plan that crosses three districts, namely Jembrana, Tabanan and Badung, will penetrate rice fields with an area of 188.31 hectares, reducing rice production in Bali by 1,129.86 tons. Chairman of Commission II DPRD Bali, Ida Gde Komang Kresna Budi, emphasized that the megaproject plan is an agenda of the central government, so according to him it must be continued. "We are looking for speed in distribution, the movement of people, it will definitely help economic growth. Tolls will be useful, not only for connections but also to support tourism," he said.
More...
Nation: "Minister of Agriculture: There Are Eight Million New Farmers Due to the Pandemic" from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Province: "Companies in Bali That Do Not Pay THR Are Threatened With Revocation of Their Business Licenses" from Suara Bali (Indonesian)
Province: "Efforts to Rebuild Mangrove Eco-tourism in Bali" from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Karangasem: "Ship Entrepreneurs Losing Billions of Rupiah due to Prohibition of Homecoming" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Klungkung: "Klungkung Regency Government Supports the Development of the Spiritual Tourism Potential of Bakas Village" from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
"‘Covid is the Best Time to Travel’: Foreign Tourists Show Off Ease to Visit Bali Thanks to Loose Quarantine Enforcement" from Coconuts Bali: Foreign travelers headed for Bali were able to skirt around Indonesia’s COVID-19 restrictions upon arrival, a number of social media posts showed, triggering a fresh wave of criticism against the government’s commitment to tackle the pandemic. Some tourists wrote that they were able to avoid the mandatory quarantine altogether, while others claimed that they were able to freely roam Jakarta during their mandatory quarantine in the capital. Lapor COVID-19 (Report COVID-19), a civil society coalition that crowdsources coronavirus information throughout the country, was among those who criticized the government for their “negligence.”
"‘Not a Wise Move’: Critics Decry Terrorist Label for Papuan Rebels" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall): The government’s recent decision to classify armed criminal groups (KKB) in Papua and West Papua as terrorists has been met with fierce criticism from rights groups and a local administration, which all feared that it would only make things worse in the restive regions. Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid said the designation showed the government's failure to address the root of Papua’s problems and could lead to more human rights violations in the country's easternmost provinces rather than helping the Papuan people.
"High-powered Magnets, Balloons Among Options Used to Salvage Nanggala" from The Jakarta Post: The Indonesian Navy said it will salvage a submarine that sank off the coast of Bali, as grieving relatives paid their respects to the dozens of crew killed in the disaster. Authorities had yet to confirm if they would try to haul up the KRI Nanggala 402 from the seafloor, after it was spotted cracked in three pieces. The navy said it was waiting on the arrival of two ships, including a vessel sent by China, that are equipped to handle deep-sea salvage operations. High-powered magnets and air balloons were among the possible options, but how and when the cracked submarine would be brought to the surface was uncertain, said navy chief Adm. Yudo Margono. The submarine's 53-strong crew are believed to still be inside the vessel, Yudo said.
Of Interest
"Two Hundred Indonesian Migrant Workers from Malaysia Arrive in NTB" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
"AstraZeneca Vaccine Sales Hit $275 Million in First Quarter" from Agence France-Presse
"Government-owned Companies to Take Over Jakarta’s Kota Tua" from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
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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