Monday, July 13
Directorate of Immigration announces Emergency Stay Permits to be discontinued in 30 days + Outbreak averted, Tabanan Heath Center reopens + Denpasar conducts 'car-free' test in city center + more!
Good morning! Welcome to the COVID-19 Update for Bali for Monday, July 13. Please subscribe and share it with others in the foreigner community on the island. I happily put this daily newsletter together as a public service, and it will be free so long as the current emergency lasts. *A paid subscription is NOT required to access this content.* When signing up, select the "None" option and you'll get it delivered to your Inbox each day. If you would like to support my work, please consider making a voluntary contribution of US$5/month. Supporters receive an early update on the government’s daily infection & recovery numbers each night within an hour or so of their announcement… plus my enduring gratitude!
Status Update
National Numbers:
Bali Numbers:
Regency Numbers:
*Note: Buleleng’s regency government has adjusted their count from yesterday, resulting in 1 fewer positive results in today’s count.
Confirmed Cases Distribution:
Key: Red = Infected | Green = Recovered | Black = Died
30-Day Trends:
More details on the locations of positive cases within each Regency, as well as the number of suspected cases ("ODP") and people under in-patient observation ("PDP"), can be found in charts & infographics on the websites of each Regency's Covid-19 Task Force:
Badung | Bangli | Buleleng | Denpasar City | Gianyar | Jembrana | Karangasem | Klungkung | Tabanan
Sources:
The national update comes from the Indonesia National Disaster Management Agency: @BNPB_Indonesia
The Bali Numbers infographic comes from the Bali Provincial Government COVID-19 Task Force (link).
The Confirmed Cases Distribution map & Regency Numbers figures come from the Bali Provincial Government's data collection department (link).
NOTE: While the national government includes daily testing totals in its infographic, Bali’s provincial government does not routinely release this data, so it is not included.
The Big News
"Emergency Stay Permits to No Longer Be Issued for Foreigners As Indonesia Enters ‘New Normal’" from The Jakarta Post: KITAS holders who have been granted an emergency stay permit may now extend their KITAS or apply for KITAP, according to the updated regulations. However, emergency stay permit holders who have reached the limit of their KITAS extension are required to leave Indonesia within 30 days from Jul. 13. Similarly, KITAP holders with emergency stay permits can now extend their permits, while emergency stay permit holders who are no longer able to extend their KITAP are required to leave the country within 30 days starting from Jul. 13... Visa on arrival holders who have been granted an emergency stay permit may also extend their visas within the next 30 days. Meanwhile, free visa holders who have been granted an emergency stay permit are instructed to leave the country within 30 days from Jul. 13.
(Ed. Note: The only official information available about these rule changes yet comes from the identical posts that Immigration sent out on their Facebook, Twitter & Instagram accounts. They provide few details, and the answers that they are providing to questions that people are asking on the replies are inconsistent. The Directorate has still not released the circular for this rule change, so any document/translation seen posted on social media should be read with the understanding that it is not an official government document; the actual one may significantly differ from it. Best practice at this point is to contact a visa agent for advice on next steps.)
"After Negative Results from 53 Swab Tests, Tabanan III Health Center is Reopened" from The IDN Times (Indonesian): After being temporarily closed due to 53 health workers (Nakes) being exposed to a midwife who tested positive for Covid-19, Puskesmas Tabanan III will finally reopen on Monday. The results of the second swab tests on the workers have come out and the results are negative. In addition, toddlers and the general public who had contact with this positive midwife COVID-19, the results of the swab test were also stated negative. However, the 15 toddlers from the contact tracing choose to do isolation independently for 14 days.
"Denpasar City Transportation Agency Holds Car Free Day Simulation" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): The Denpasar City Transportation Department held a Car Free Day (CFD) simulation at Renon Field and Lumintang City Park on Sunday from 05.00 to 08.00 to strengthen the preparation of the implementation of the CFD that prioritizes health protocol standards... this CFD simulation is an adaptation in a new era (New Normal) during the covid pandemic. Which is expected in this simulation the community must continue to follow the prevailing health and social protocols. "People still have to follow the existing health protocols, by still using masks, keeping a distance and carrying a hand sanitizer when exercising or cycling. In addition, we also provide a sink to wash hands at the entrance of the CFD and check body temperature. So people who will enter the CFD area must wash their hands first and check their body temperature," explained I Ketut Sriawan, Head of Transportation Department of Denpasar City.
Other Headlines
"Pecalang in Jimbaran, Bali Monitor Health Protocol of Beach Visitors" from Antara (Indonesian): Pecalang officers, accompanied by other security elements, toured the Jimbaran Coast area to ensure beach visitors had implemented health protocols that had been established as an effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic... "What concerns us, of course, is that people and beach visitors should continue to use masks, still manage and keep their distance and who are also diligent in washing their hands in the space provided or using liquid hand sanitizers," he said.
"Task Force Suggests Volunteers If Tourist Sites in Tabanan are Opened Again" from The IDN Times (Indonesian): Some tourist attractions in Bali have not been fully opened for visitors, including tourist attractions in Tabanan Regency. There are still a few things that need to be prepared before opening tourist attractions. One of them is the availability of volunteers at each tourist site to deal with emergency conditions related to the Covid-19 pandemic... The District Government (Pemkab) of Tabanan, together with the ranks of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) and the Indonesian National Army (TNI), have conducted a simulation in the Tanah Lot Tourism Attraction (DTW) of Beraban Village, Kediri District, to ensure the readiness of the "New Era" health protocols for Safe and Productive Tabanan at Tourist Sites.
"Indonesia Shifts from 'New Normal' to 'Adapting to New Habits'" from The Jakarta Post: The Health Ministry’s disease control and prevention director general, Achmad Yurianto, announced on Friday that the term “new normal” to describe Indonesia's post-pandemic era was incorrect and the government had changed its phrasing to adaptasi kebiasaan baru (adapting to new habits) to prevent false interpretations or misunderstandings... The term 'new normal' was suggested by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in mid-May and has since been used in the country's post-pandemic economic recovery efforts. Yurianto explained the public did not fully comprehend the phrase and would focus on the word “normal” over the “new” aspect. “Therefore, we decided to use ‘adapting to new habits.’" Yurianto added that the government would not release new regulations on COVID-19 prevention over concerns that the public might get confused and experience information fatigue.
Non-Covid News of Note
"Deputy Governor Cok Ace Opens Virtual Kite Competition Season 2.0" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): In addition to accommodating the aspirations and channeling hobbies of the rare angons (as kite players are called), according to him, this activity is a good momentum for the world of tourism to begin to rise from adversity... This ISI Denpasar professor hopes that events like this can be used as a momentum to show the world that Bali is ready to enter the new era of life by implementing health protocols in various sectors, including tourism. "Let's show the outside world that Bali, with its natural beauty, is ready to accept tourists with the application of strict health protocols," said the Ubud regener. More than that, activities that involve participants from outside this area are expected to become a medium for building networks between destinations. (Ed. Note: Additional details on the Virtual Kite Competition can be found here.)
"Bali Electricity More Reliable As PLN Energizes 150KV Underground Cable Channel" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): PLN has succeeded in providing the first voltage (energize), on the 150 kilo Volt High Voltage Cable (SKTT) project in Ngurah Rai Airport towards Pesanggaran. This infrastructure is a National Strategic Project (PSN) which has an important role in increasing the reliability of electricity on the island of Bali, especially in southern Bali regions such as Nusa Dua and Pecatu which are Bali's leading tourist destinations, and Ngurah Rai Airport.
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 fund 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.
Resources
Important information for foreigners who are staying on the island, such as designated COVID-19 hospitals and emergency contact numbers, can be found by following this link.
The government has cancelled its visa-on-arrival process and rolled out enhanced entry requirements for people traveling to Indonesia; they have also granted automatic extensions to most foreigners who are still in the country on temporary stay visas. You can see a (translated) list of all of the relevant regulations on the Directorate General of Immigration & Ministry of Law and Human Rights' website here. You can see their confirmation of this policy on June 11 here, and see a cringe-inducing PSA here. Follow them on social media to receive policy updates as soon as they are released: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Local travel website Traveloka has a helpful page with a summary of what’s needed to travel to and within the country. You can also order a rapid test or swab (PCR) test via their platform: Link
The British Embassy in Jakarta has recently posted a great summary of the Indonesian government's travel restrictions on their Facebook page. You can read it here.
The EU has launched a website to help travelers stay informed about how member states will be accelerating the reopening of their borders. Through the “EU Re-open” website, travelers can enter the name of the country they wish to visit and find out the rules that will apply after each place's coronavirus lockdown. Information on the EU Re-open website and app will continue to be updated in line with the developments of the coronavirus pandemic.
If you are trying to plan travel anywhere, here are some of the best up-to-date resources that can help you:
IATA Travel Center Update - The International Air Transport Association is the global lobbying body for the aviation industry. Their Travel Information Manual Automatic (Timatic) database feeds into airlines' reservation systems, so it is the most reliable list of flight restrictions around.
Revolver Maps' Travel Restrictions Database - This list pulls directly from IATA's Timatic database and arranges the countries in lists that are easier to navigate and creates share-able links for every country. NOTE: This is a third-party service and they warn that the updates to their system can be delayed by several hours for certain countries.
Al Jazeera Travel Restriction & Border Shutdown Tracker - A companion list that includes less technical summaries of each country's travel restrictions, beyond just flights and airport access.
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 will 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.