Monday, June 1
Govt concedes that "New Normal" will not be uniform across country, will be based on local infection rates + (Some) BEACHES ARE OPENING (kind of)! + Bali again asks locals to not get pregnant + more!
Good morning! Welcome to the COVID-19 Update for Bali for Monday, June 1. 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. But if you would like to support my work, please consider taking up a voluntary subscription at US$5/month. Thanks!
Status Update
National Numbers:
Bali Numbers:
New Infections by Regency
Overall Confirmed Cases Distribution:
Key: Red = Infected | Green = Recovered | Black = Died
Bali 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 Total Confirmed Cases Distribution map & Regency Numbers figures come from the Bali Provincial Government's data collection department (link).
The 30-day trend charts have been compiled using daily government data.
How You Can Help
Each weekday we'll let you know about an organization or a person who is trying to make a difference for the people of Bali in these difficult times, and how you can pitch in.
Rotary Club of Bali Canggu: Putting their motto, "Service Above Self" into action, the members of the Canggu chapter of Rotary Club International have organized a food drive and food bag program to get desperately needed supplies to impoverished families across Bali. In addition to drop-off points at the James Cook Sports Bar and The Plumbers Arms, where people leave donations of non-perishable food items such as rice, noodles, and cooking oil, they are using cash funds raised to buy supplies from local farmers and vendors to assemble food bags full of groceries and deliver them to families in need. You can see updates on their progress posted on their Facebook page. If you would like to help, you can drop off food offerings at the above venues or find information on how to make a donation via wire transfer on their website.
Please visit this page to see a list of all of the efforts that we've featured so far. If you know anyone who is raising funds, delivering food, organizing volunteers, or otherwise trying to rally people to the cause of assisting our neighbors here in Bali, please let us know by sending an email to newsletter@migrationmedia.net.
The Big News
"Yurianto: Implementation Of 'New Normal' Will Not Be Synchronized" from Antara (Indonesian): The implementation of "New Normal" policies depends on the epidemiological conditions of each region and will not be carried out simultaneously, said the government's Covid-19 Spokesperson, Achmad Yurianto. "We do not consider the new normalcy like a starting flag for a running race, with all moving immediately together. No, it really depends on the epidemiological conditions of each region and becomes the decision of the regional head," he said... The epidemiological criteria sayd that that area has succeeded in reducing the number of cases for two consecutive weeks since its peak by more than 50%. If positive cases still exist, then it must be seen that at least the addition of positive cases should decrease by 50% from the cases examined. In addition, there must be a decrease in the number of deaths.
"Beaches In Badung Start Selectively Admitting Surfers" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): Beaches in Badung are starting to open, but authorities are being selective in who they admit, namely surfers who are staying overnight in the area near the beach. "While still waiting for direction from the province for tourist attractions, but restrictions for beaches can be loosened a little while following the health protocol for surfers," said Made Badra, Head of the Badung Tourism Office. The opening of beaches is limited to regions where there are guests such as Pecatu Beach, Nyangnyang and others. While the beaches of Kuta, Legian and Seminyak have not yet opened because there are no tourists or surfers... The reason for this selective opening, Badra said, was because there were many complaints from tourists in Bali stressed because they wanted to try the ocean alias surfing. Most importantly, all must follow the health protocol established by the government. Furthermore, Badra emphasized that this beach opening is selective and not yet valid for the public.
"Anticipating Baby Boom, BKKBN Bali Asks Families to Postpone Pregnancy" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): Anticipating a Baby Boom, representative of the Bali Provincial National Population Population Board (BKKBN) continue to campaign for fertile-age couples to postpone pregnancy during the Covid-19 pandemic. The head of BKKBN Balie, Agus Proklamasi, said that couples engaging in conjugal relations should use contraceptives, such as condoms and birth control pills, so as to avoid a Baby Boom. "Giving birth during the Covid-19 pandemic will be difficult. With medics are focused on handling Covid cases, too many births [will put a strain on the healthcare system]," he said... In Bali today, there are around 13,000 pregnant women. If we have just 500 births each month, "this will interfere with the handling of Covid. The number of births is almost the same as the conditions of handling Covid. This must be understood together," he added.
Other Headlines
"In the Middle of Covid-19 Pandemic, Badung Designs Online School Application Process" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): Although there is no certainty as to when the new school year will be held, the Education, Youth and Sports Office (Disdikpora) of Badung Regency is designing a new student admission system (PPDB) for the new school year. According to the plan, admission of new students will be held online. "We will do PPDB online to avoid the crowds, according to the direction of the central government," explained the Head of the Disdikpora of Badung Regency, I Ketut Widia Astika... The school year normally runs according to the Balinese provincial calendar, and as of now there has been no change. But Disdikpora is still waiting for further direction, including from the central government.
"Bali Not Included On List Of Regions that Can Apply 'New Normal' Policies" from The IDN Times (Indonesian): President Joko Widodo has approved 102 regencies / cities throughout Indonesia to implement "New Normal" policies. These regions include green zones or areas that are coronavirus-free. Each regency / city that is approved to run normally must continue to enforce health protocols that are strict, prudent, and remain alert to the threat of Covid-19. If there is an increase in cases, the local Task Force can decide to tighten or close again.
"Residents Complain About Swab Test Rate of Rp. 1 Million At Unud Hospital" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): Udayana University (Unud) Hospital, has rolled out a rapid test & swab test package for a few of up to Rp. 1 million. This is causing complaints because it is considered too expensive. The Director of the Unud Hospital, Dewa Putu Gede Purwa Samatra, explained that when there is a suspected case of Covid-19, patients are tested for free. But for applicants who want rapid tests or swab tests for purposes of travel, or another reason, they must pay according to the requirements that have been issued. He explained, the payment was made because it was the responsibility of the individual, not the government. This will clearly complicate hospitals if there are no costs.
"Toya Devasya Set to Reopen June 15" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): Toya Devasya tourist attraction founder, Kintamani, I Ketut Mardjana, welcomed the plan of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) to make Bali a tourism project pilot and pilot testing of new normal applications. Mardjana also plans to reopen Toya Devasya starting June 15, 2020... At the beginning of the operation again, only a few rides will be opened for visitors, while watching developments. Some of the rides that opened include swimming pools, culinary, as well as several activities that enhance the body's immunity, such as yoga and meditation.
Non-Covid News of Note
"Boutique Hotel Destroyed By Fire In South Kuta" from The Bali Sun: A large fire broke out at a Boutique Hotel in South Kuta on Saturday morning causing RP 7.5 billion ($500,000 USD) in damages. The Toraja Bambu Boutique Hotel in Pecatu was engulfed by flames Saturday morning around 6:15am. 6 of the hotel’s villas were destroyed in the fire according to South Kuta Police Chief, AKP Yusak Agustinus Sooai.
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.
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.
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.
Common abbreviations to be familiar with:
PMI: Indonesian migrant worker
PSBB: Policy of extreme social distancing. Officially restricts forms of transportation and prohibits certain types of business from operating. Requires any permitted businesses to enforce strict social distancing guidelines.
OTG: Possible cases, with no symptoms.
ODP: Suspected cases, being monitored. People with fever or respiratory symptoms such as congestion, sore throat, cough, travel in countries or areas with local transmission, or contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19. Tracked and placed under out-patient observation.
PDP: Probable cases, under observation. People with acute respiratory illness with at least one symptom such as cough, sore throat, congestion, light or heavy pneumonia, and travel in countries or areas with local transmission, or contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19. Usually placed under observation in an isolation ward at a designated hospital pending swab testing results.
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.