Monday, July 20
Indonesia & Bali see record deaths + Touchless SOPs spread with app-based Health Declarations at airport & e-tickets to tourist sites now available + Doctors' group questions rapid test use + more!
Good morning! Welcome to the COVID-19 Update for Bali for Monday, July 20. 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:
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
"Indonesia’s Covid-19 Deaths Jump by Record 127" from The Jakarta Globe: Indonesia reported 127 Covid-19 deaths on Sunday, the highest single-day death toll since the outbreak, according to the National Covid-19 Task Force. The number of daily Covid-19 deaths has never exceeded 100 before. The highest single-day death toll was 87 on Wednesday. It’s been the deadliest week in the country’s outbreak to date, averaging 77 deaths per day since Monday. The death toll from the respiratory disease stood at 4,143 as of Sunday, although the actual figure could be a lot more than government’s tally as deaths from probable coronavirus cases were not included. (Ed. Note: Bali also hit a new record for Covid-19 deaths in a single day yesterday with 4 new fatalities recorded. It was the 5th day in a row with recorded deaths, and the 4th day out of the last 5 where multiple people have died of the virus.)
"Doubts Loom Over Widespread Use of Rapid Tests in Virus-stricken Indonesia" from The Jakarta Post: The widespread use of rapid antibody tests for COVID-19 as requirements for various activities during the pandemic, including for traveling in Indonesia, has sparked concerns among experts, who called for better government control over their use... Post-market surveillance on rapid antibody test brands used in the country carried out by the Association of Indonesia's Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine specialists (PDS PatKLIn) showed that many of them had sensitivity and specificity lower than 50%, the association's chairwoman, Aryati, said.
"After Negative Test Results for 14 Health Workers, Private Clinic in Pupuan Will Be Opened Again" from The IDN Times (Indonesian): Spokesperson for Tabanan's Covid-19 Task Force, Putu Dian Setiawan, said that 14 health workers at a private clinic had undergone first and second swab tests, in addition to independent isolation until the results were known. With both rounds of testing results in, they have been declared negative for the virus. As a result, after an 11-day closure, the clinic will be allowed to resume operations on Monday after implementing new health protocols.
Other Headlines
"As Flights to Bali Increase, Health Card Filling Becomes a Constraint" from The IDN Times (Indonesian): "There are still many passengers who fill out their Health Alert Card (HAC) upon arrival at the Arrival Terminal, so there is often a fairly crowded terminal situation," said Herry AY Sikado, General Manager of PT Angkasa Pura I (Persero) I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. To overcome this, filling in the HAC can now be done through the application, eHAC Indonesia. Passengers can go through the process of filling in their documents faster so that there will not be a density of passengers... With this new era of adaptation, the implementation of terminal capacity building policies has now reached 50 percent. Initially only 35 percent were used to serve the public. Every hour now I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport is able to serve 8 regular departure flights on domestic routes, 6 regular arrival flights on domestic routes, and 3 flights each for regular arrival and departure of international routes.
"Tourism Sites in Tabanan to Reopen Using Integrated e-Ticket Design" from The IDN Times (Indonesian): To create a safe and productive place to visit from COVID-19, Tabanan will design an electronic ticketing system ( e-ticketing ) that is integrated directly into the Tourist Attraction (DTW), and other tourist attractions. The e-ticket will contain several attractions in Tabanan Regency, with 10-20 packages offered. For example, one package visits five tourist destinations such as Tanah Lot, Jatiluwih, Ulun Danu Beratan, Yeh Gangga, and Puri Kerambitan. The package was made with the aim to parse the number of visits so as not to accumulate in one place, and lift other attractions in Tabanan Regency that have not been developed or visited by tourists. The e-ticketing system will be managed by the Regional Company Dharma Santika (PDDS), as well as marketing. This tour package, can be purchased online, so tourists just show the bar code on their smartphone to enter the tourist attraction.
"Distance Learning Threatens to Exacerbate Education Inequality in Indonesia" from The Jakarta Post: For the past four months, more than 60 million students across the nation have been forced to study from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. But online learning presents new obstacles, particularly with uneven access to technology and inadequate online teaching methods, and concern is now growing that remote learning could worsen inequalities in education... A survey launched on Thursday by the SMERU Research Institute showed that while teachers in major cities in Java had proper facilities to teach their students online, teachers in villages, especially outside Java, have needed to visit their students’ homes to give and collect homework because of a lack of access to the internet and digital devices.
Non-Covid News of Note
"Terrifying Video Shows Why Bali Weather Service Has Issued High Wave Warning" from The Bali Sun: A terrifying video has surfaced on social media of residents in Karangasem, Bali trying to escape large waves and strong currents. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Balai Besar Region III Denpasar issued a large wave warning on Saturday, urging people to be aware of 1.25-2.5 meter sea waves that are likely to occur over the next couple days in the Bali Sea, Sumbawa Sea, the northern part of the Bali Strait, and in the northern part of the Sumbawa strait.
"Tanzanian Who Overstayed Visa in Bali is Deported By Immigration After 9 Months" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): Lauhia Hamis Mtinange (34) was deported by the Denpasar Immigration Detention Center (Rudenim) to Jakarta, Sunday. Hamis entered Indonesia on 9/12/2018 and because she overstayed her visa immigration authorities arrested her and she was detained in Denpasar's detention center until Thursday.
"Flying high?: Garuda Sacks Pilot Arrested for Drug Use" from The Jakarta Post: Garuda Indonesia president director Irfan Setiaputra said the dismissal was meant to set an example for the airline’s employees, as the company had previously committed to a no-tolerance approach to such activities... “Based on our investigation and coordination with the police regarding a pilot working for Garuda Indonesia and Citilink who was involved in drug abuse, the company has decided to sever all professional ties with the pilot,” Irfan said in a statement on Saturday.
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 cancelled the automatic Emergency Stay Permit program that had been extended to most foreigners who are still in the country on temporary stay visas. You can see a (translated) list of all of the relevant entry regulations on the Directorate General of Immigration & Ministry of Law and Human Rights' website here. Scroll down halfway to the heading "Foreign nationals still residing in Indonesia due to suspending departure and ITAS & ITAP holders overseas" to see their list of which visas can still be extended. If you reside in Badung Regency, from the southern end of the island up to North Kuta, you need to make an appointment with the Immigration office in the Airport before you go in. You can make your appointment 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.