Monday, February 1
Guv will hold meeting to discuss strict island-wide lockdown + Checkpoints go up at popular beaches; fines issued & random tests given + Trade Minister calls for bailout of bankrupt hotels + more!
Good morning! Welcome to The Bali Beat for Monday, February 1. If you’re not a subscriber, sign up here to get this update delivered directly to your Inbox every Monday-Friday morning, along with each evening’s Covid-19 update. If you are already a subscriber, thank you! Please be sure to share it with others in the island community by clicking the button below.
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Weather & Waves
Today’s Weather for Southern Bali
Today’s Tides
Surf Outlook
Weather forecast from Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology & Geophysics Council (Link)
Tide table from Tide-forecast.com.
Surf outlook via Windy.com.
Local Covid Numbers
*NOTE: Yesterday saw another slight dip in the island’s new case number. Last weekend saw a similar dip thanks to decreased test processing capacity on Saturdays and Sundays, so it’s not clear if this is a positive trend or part of a “5 days up, 2 days down” pattern. Deaths, unfortunately, remain high, with the 7-day total at 53, the highest it's been since mid-September. Looking week-to-week, the pace of new infections keeps growing. Total new cases from Sunday-Saturday (2,832) were up 24% from Jan. 17-23 (2,290). Deaths grew too, but at a slower rate, from 38 to 56 last week, up 8%.
For the month as a whole, the total number of cases confirmed (8,559) was up 130% over December (3,718). Patients who died in January (161) rose 77% over last month (91). And the month ended with a 7-day average of new cases (363) that was 177% higher than it was at the end of December (131). The silver lining to these ominous clouds is that the fatality rate continues to decline. Thanks to increased testing & tracing, which helps identify asymptomatic or mild cases of Covid, January saw just 1.88% of its cases result in death, a drop from 2.45% in December.
(Indonesia does not include the deaths of people with "suspected" cases in its Covid fatality count, which may make people believe that the lower death rate is a mirage. This doesn't necessarily track for two reasons. First, even with this policy in place, the death rate was 3.88% in October and had reached its peak of 5.64% in September, when testing capacity was much lower. Second, while provincial data is not usually made public, as a whole, the country is not testing enough but Bali is said to be among the best regions in that arena.)
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
"Indonesia Concludes Deadliest Month in Coronavirus Outbreak" from The Jakarta Globe: January has become the deadliest month in the Indonesian coronavirus outbreak with 7,860 deaths, 51 percent higher than the previous monthly high recorded in December. The total death toll stands at 29,998 as of January 31. The number of confirmed cases also has been surging dramatically with a staggering 335,116 cases throughout the month to take the country’s total to 1,078,314. The January total topped the previous record by more than 130,000 cases. Hotspots like South Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, Bali and Banten have seen resurgence in newly cases since late November and added the pace when January came.
"Visitors to Sanur-Bali Beach are Required to Have A Rapid Antigen Test" from Antara (Indonesian): Dozens of visitors to Sanur Beach, Denpasar, Bali were required to take the antigen rapid test that has been provided before entering the beach area. The rapid antigen test this time targeted 71 visitors with the results that 70 people were nonreactive and one person was declared reactive. One resident with reactive results is not allowed to enter the Bangsal Sanur Beach tourist attraction. "There are no restrictions on activities to the beach, including self-purification or bathing. However, people must comply with health protocols which include avoiding crowds," said Dandim 1611 / Badung Colonel Inf I Made Alit Yudana... Head of South Denpasar District, Wayan Budha, said that restrictions on community activities were carried out in 13 points in the Sanur area. The distribution of the 13 points, namely three points of entrance to beach tourism in Sanur Kaja Village, five points in Sanur Village and five points in Sanur Kauh Village. "The implementation of restrictions on the surge in beach visitors on Banyu Pinaruh Day is in accordance with the Circular of the Governor of Bali Number 1 of 2021 concerning PPKM in a new era of life in efforts to deal with COVID-19 in the city of Denpasar," he said.
(Ed. Note: It is not clear from this story whether the checkpoints and random testing will continue through February 8, or if it was a special arrangement for Banyu Pinaruh Day. See the “Prokes Patrols” section below for additional reports of beach actions across the island.)
Hospital Capacity Update
"17 Hotels in Bali Are Used as Quarantine Places for Covid-19 Patients" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): The Provincial Government of Bali to date has used 17 hotels as quarantine places for positive Covid-19 patients who are asymptomatic or with the status of people without symptoms (OTG). Those with OTG status must be quarantined in a quarantine place prepared by the government. Therefore, the quarantine place is developed as needed, "said Bali Province Covid-19 Handling Task Force Dewa Made Indra. "Until today, there are 17 hotels that we use as quarantine places. From reports until yesterday, the number of rooms remaining is still 500 rooms, this data certainly changes every day."
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Some Covid Context
In this occasional section I share interesting or insightful stories from around the world that I come across that inform issues we’re facing here. Today, it’s advice about wearing masks.
A new COVID safety precaution has been making the rounds: double-masking. Sound advice, but why are we only hearing it a year into the pandemic? Well, messaging about masks has been bungled since the beginning. Remember when we were told not to bother wearing masks — they allegedly weren't that effective — but really public health experts just wanted to make sure the public wouldn't take precious resources from health care workers?
There were consequences to withholding the full truth about masks. The message confused people, and made it easier to hesitate, or to choose not to use them, despite the drumbeat of evidence that they could protect you, and others, to a degree. And it damaged the credibility of public health experts.
According to Zeynep Tufekci, associate professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and contributing writer at The Atlantic and The New York Times, a similar messaging mix-up is occurring right now, with how experts and outlets are talking about the vaccines and the COVID-19 variants. This week, Tufekci tells Brooke about pandemic doomsaying and the consequences of willful amnesia about public health messaging mistakes.
NOTE: Click on the embedded player above to listen or open the episode in Spotify. The segment in question is the first one of the show, and it’s just 15 minutes long. You can also find it in your favorite podcatcher by searching for “On the Media,” or you can listen to the isolated segment 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 me know at newsletter@migrationmedia.net.
Other Headlines
"Here's the Response of the Bali Provincial Government Regarding the Regional Quarantine Proposal from the Head of the Gianyar DPRD" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): "Actually, it is fine if there is such a suggestion, but the chairman of the DPRD certainly has to convey the existing mechanism," said I Made Rentin, Head of the Secretariat of Bali's Covid-19 Task Force. Based on the proposal, the Governor of Bali will decide whether the Island of the Gods will carry out a regional quarantine or not. To determine this, the Governor of Bali will definitely conduct a joint leadership meeting with various regional leaders. "The mechanism at least includes the leadership, the meeting of the Muspida ranks, including the chairman of the DPRD, which may have a suggestion," said Rentin.
Yesterday’s Prokes Patrols
"Bali Video Goes Viral: Local Refuses To Pay Fine For Not Wearing Face-mask" from The Bali Sun: An officer caught a local man, identified as Dewa, without a mask and issued him a fine of US$7 (IDR 100,000) for violating safety protocols. The confrontation got heated as Dewa became furious when the officer asked him to pay the fine. Dewa began arguing with officers, his justification being that he forgot to wear the face mask as he was in a hurry. “I know the rule, but I’m in a hurry. It’s so hard to earn money nowadays, and now I have to pay for this because you have zero tolerance.” Dewa said. The Head of Klungkung Public Civil Service Officer, Putu Suarta, has confirmed the incident. “It doesn’t matter if you only go for a short or long distance, rules are rules. Everyone should wear a mask, and properly cover their mouth and nose whenever they go to public areas,” Suarta concluded.
More...
Nation: "President Jokowi Criticizes PPKM, Asking for More Firmness" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Bali:"The Udayana Regional Military Command Will Hold Operations to Handle Covid-19 Until February 8" from Antara (Indonesian)
Bali:"REVEALED! The Curfew During the PPKM Extension in Bali Varies" from radar Bali (Indonesian)
Badung:"Yustisi Team Sidak Echo Beach Area, 18 Offenders Fined" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Denpasar:"Sanur Kaja Village Collaborates With Regional Military Command To Hold Rapid Antigen When Banyu Pinaruh, A Student, Is Positive" from Bali Prawara (Indonesian)
Denpasar:"The Beach is Closed When Banyupinaruh" from Antara (Indonesian)
Jembrana:"Prokes Offenders Are Given Packaged Rice" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Klungkung:"Strictly Guarded, Watu Klotok Beach Lenggang When Banyu Pinaruh" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Tabanan:"Kendungu Beach Visitors Are Also targeted By Rapid Antigen" from The Bali Post (Indonesian)
Tabanan:"Task Force Police Line Public Facilities" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
"'I Am Sorry': Kristen Gray Writes Public Apology Following Controversy" from Coconuts: “Regarding my tweets that went viral and the Indonesian people I have offended, it was never my intention to disrespect Indonesia culture, especially Balinese culture. I made a public Twitter thread about my experience and it was a mistake,” Gray wrote. Gray said her tweets were picked apart, misinterpreted, and misconstrued via translation, but that she takes “full accountability for the poor wording and the privileged language in my tweets. I am sorry for the spreading of this information. I did not intend to go viral.”
Vaccination Update
Nation:"COVID Jab Given to 482,145 Medical Workers: Health Ministry" from Antara
Nation:"At the End of February, the Minister of Health Has Targeted That Vaccination for Health Workers to Be Completed" from Antara (Indonesian)
Tabanan:"Three Days Running, [1,467 Vaccinated, but] 212 Health Care Workers in Tabanan Postponed COVID-19 Vaccination" from The IDN Times (Indonesian)
"Dozens of Hotels in Bali Bankrupt, Sandiaga Uno Intervenes" [Video] from iNews Bali (Indonesian): Due to the pandemic , dozens of hotels in Bali were declared bankrupt by the Supreme Court. The downturn in the hotel industry caught the attention of the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno. Sandi said that the pandemic should not become a mass grave for hoteliers. Sandi asked banks to carry out a credit restructuring program. Sandi also asked private banks to provide a stimulus program of IDR 9.9 trillion. The bankruptcy of big hotels in Bali has an impact on employee layoffs.
"Perbekel in Denpasar City PPKM Objections Considered Only Formality" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): Chairman of the Forum Perbekel / Lurah Denpasar City I Gede Wijaya Saputra deeply regretted the term formality in the Implementation of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) in Denpasar City. This is because his party, together with the entire line of operators / village heads up to the hamlet and environment heads and the Covid 19 Handling Task Force, have tried their best to support the acceleration of handling Covid-19... "Even in developed countries, they are still trying to design policies, and there is nothing that we can completely replicate, which is why it is not good for us to blame each other," he said. "If the cases are still high, I think it is because the Task Force is working hard by conducting massive and intense tracing and testing, don't think it's just a formality. Looking for close contacts is also fraught with risk of exposure. The Task Force also had difficulty monitoring the discipline of community health services outside the home, especially outside the village / kelurahan. This is called collective consciousness. Moreover, the implementation of PPKM is a policy and direction from the Central Government that we must implement."
"Online Ineffective, Hundreds of Schools in Karangasem Ready to Face-to-Face" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): Even though Face-to-Face Learning (PTM) has been postponed until now, the Karangasem Regency Government continues to make verification efforts regarding school readiness in facing PTM which will be held at any time. Until now, there have been hundreds of schools from SMP and SD levels ready to take PTM. Head of the Karangasem Youth and Sports Education Office (Kadisdikpora), I Gusti Ngurah Kartika, revealed that his party and related agencies continue to carry out the verification process. When the conditions for the development of the Covid-19 case decline, the government only needs to provide a recommendation for permission to take effect this PTM.
Of Interest
"Indonesia Unlikely to Achieve its Tourism Arrivals Target This Year: Minister" from Kompas
"Kemenparekraf Plans to Develop Ubud" from Antara (Indonesian)
"Garbage Piles up on Kedonganan Beach, Head of Village: It's Usual!" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
"Deputy Governor Cok Ace Asked Tourism Actors Not to Sell Assets" from Antara (Indonesian)
"GWK Cultural Park Bali Temporarily Closed" from Antara (Indonesian)
"1,911 Balinese Workers Have Returned to Work Abroad" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian)
"On the Second Day of Work in Bali, Menparekraf Sandiaga Uno Checks Trash from Kuta Beach" from iNews Bali (Indonesian)
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 newsletter@migrationmedia.net.
About This Newsletter
This newsletter is a product of Migration Media, the hub for stories from and about the international migrant experience.
Our standards
We only include news items from established media sources
We do not share rumors.
We do not include opinion pieces or forecasts.
For all stories marked "Indonesian" I have used Google Translate to convert it from Bahasa. In most cases I try to polish the excerpt and/or write a short summary in proper English to help clarify the details.
For any questions, comments or tips, please contact us at newsletter@migrationmedia.net.