Monday, March 22
PPKM extended until April 5, expanded to 5 more provinces + "Vaccination Certificate" plan in the works, will facilitate health regulations + Foreign arrivals still restricted b/c of variants + more!
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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
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
"PPKM Micro is Expanded to a Total of 15 Provinces" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): The government has again extended the implementation period for the Implementation of Restrictions on Micro-Based Community Activities (PPKM), from March 23 to April 5, 2021. In this extension, the PPKM Micro implementation area was expanded, with an additional 5 Provinces. Namely the provinces of South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara. Coordinating Minister Airlangga explained the decision to extend the Micro PPKM was proven to be effective in reducing the rate of addition of active cases, both in terms of number and percentage. "PPKM has suppressed the rate of increasing the number of active cases and the percentage has dropped significantly since the highest active cases were on February 5, 2021, active cases decreased by 25.42 percent or decreased by 44,919 cases," he said.
"New Instrument for Prokes Implementation, Ministry of Health Prepares Vaccination Certificate" from The Bali Post (Indonesian): The COVID-19 vaccination certificate will be used as a new instrument in implementing health protocols (prokes) in a number of community activities. According to the Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, the Ministry of Health is preparing it. "Regarding the vaccination certificate, the plan will be used for integration with the new standard health protocol," said the Minister of Health. Once the number of COVID-19 vaccination certificate holders has been large, said Budi, the Ministry of Health began preparing new health protocols for each community activity. "The point (vaccination certificate) will go there. So indeed this vaccination certificate will be used as an instrument in the implementation of new health protocols for each activity," he said.
"International Travel Still Limited Over New COVID-19 Variants Fears" from Indonesia Expat: The Indonesian government is still limiting the entry of foreigners in order to anticipate and prevent the arrival of new COVID-19 variants. “These new variants come from humans. Of course, there needs to be a control over the entry of both Indonesians and foreigners from abroad,” said Transportation Ministry spokesperson Adita Irawati. Several new variants of COVID-19 have entered Indonesia. The B117 variant has been found in seven cases.
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Other Headlines
"90% Of Restaurants In Ubud Have Closed Down Due To The Pandemic" from The Bali Sun: The Head of Gianyar Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), Pande Mahayana Adityawarman said that majority of those accommodation businesses had to make the tough decision because they could not cover their operational cost. “Ubud used to be the top tourist destination on the island not now has suddenly become a ghost town, and it brings a major impact to the economic situation since then” said Aditawarman. Some of the businesses tried to reopen during the Christmas holidays, but they didn’t receive significant response from the domestic tourists. Additionally, the pandemic has also affected the hotels occupancy in Ubud. Adityawarman said that the occupancy has dropped since the partial lockdown was implemented in most of the areas in Bali and Java.
Vaccination Update
"Indonesia to Distribute AstraZeneca Vaccine on Monday" from The Jakarta Globe: The Indonesian Health Ministry will begin distributing Covid-19 vaccine developed by UK pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca on Monday after it was put on a delay amid reports of blood clots in Europe. The World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have stated there was no evidence of a link between the vaccine and the reported blood clots. Health Ministry spokeswoman Siti Nadia Tarmizi said the vaccine will be distributed across the country after the Drug and Food Supervisory Agency (BPOM) lifted the suspension on Friday.
More...
Nation: "Post-Covid-19 Vaccine Anaphylatic Reactions Have Not Been Found in Indonesia" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Nation: "5,533,379 Indonesians Have Been Vaccinated Against Covid-19" from Antara
Nation: "Kadin Confirms 3.5 Million Registered for Self-funded Vaccination" from Antara
Island: "Only 127,000 Out Of 4 Million Balinese Have Been Vaccinated" from Bali Prawara (Indonesian)
Island: "The Bali Provincial Health Office Receives 290,300 Vaccines for Sinovac and Astrazeneca" from Tribune Bali (Indonesian)
Island: "Vaccination Targets for 3 Green Zones in Bali are 170,500 People" from iNews Bali (Indonesian)
Island: "Tourism Area Vaccination Starting April 1, 2021" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Island: "Phase II Vaccination for Financial and Banking Industry Workers" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Badung: "To Guarantee That the Central Government Opens Tourism, Badung Targets to Complete Vaccinations in Tourism Areas" from Tribune Bali
Bangli: "90% of Police Personnel Already Vaccinated" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Two Thousand More Traders in Denpasar City Receive Covid-19 Vaccination" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Gianyar: "To Speed Up Vaccination Targets, Ubud Implements the Banjar System" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Patrols
Kintamani: "6 Residents Netted Violating Prokes During Yustisi Operation at the T-junction in Manikliyu Kintamani Village" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
"The First Time in Bali, a Child Died of Covid-19" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): The Buleleng Covid-19 Handling Task Force again announced additional cases of death due to covid-19. Sadly, this case of death befell children. Based on an investigation by the Jawa Pos Radar Bali, this is the first time a child has died from Covid-19. Most of the cases of death occurred in the age group over 40 years. Meanwhile, for the age group under 18 years, this is the first case that has occurred. Buleleng Covid-19 Handling Task Force spokesman Nyoman Genep said the victim was declared dead on Saturday in the morning at the Buleleng I Community Health Center.
"Considered to Be More Ready Than Bali, These Two Tourist Areas Will Be Opened for Foreign Tourists in April 2021" from The Bali Post (Indonesian): Two tourism areas will open on April 21, 2021. This was stated by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno. He assessed that the Batam and Bintan tourism areas in the Riau Islands Province are more ready to be opened to foreign tourists than Bali. So that the opening will take precedence. Sandiaga stated that the plan for the Nongsa tourist area in Batam and Lagoi in Bintan will be opened on April 21, 2021. Meanwhile, Bali will start around June and July 2021.
"Many Doctors Are Reluctant to Go to Nusa Penida, Gema Santi Hospital is Lack of Doctors" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): Gema Santi Hospital, which is located in Nusa Penida, is experiencing a shortage of obstetricians. Even though this obstetrician is quite vital. Not infrequently when patients who should receive treatment from an obstetrician must be referred to TSUD Klungkung for quite a long time. As a result, the hospital did not perform operations and had to be referred to Klungkung Hospital with the struggle to cross the sea... Apart from applying to recruit specialist doctors, Dr. Rai Sutapa also gave recommendations to doctors who wanted to find specialists to get the signature of Klungkung Regent I Nyoman Suwirta. "Hopefully in the next four to five years we have people who give scholarships and are sent to school to be ready to work in Nusa Penida," he said.
"Clean Toilet Campaign Launched in Bali" from Bali Discovery: The Ministry of Tourism and the Creative Economy has launched a program to revitalize public toilets in the five designated super-destinations, including the Mandalika in Lombok Complex in West Nusa Tenggara. Sandiaga described public toilets as a vital piece of infrastructure in tourism destination areas. Clean public toilets are essential aspects of cleanliness and security in any tourism destination. By revitalizing public toilets, the welcome extended by a tourist destination is enhanced. Adding: “At the end of 2020, I sent photos of Kuta Beach (in Bali) that were covered by trash with unattended public toilets. But now the situation has improved. This revitalization will reawaken tourism in the ‘new normal’ and prepare Bali as well as other destinations for reopening.”
Of Interest
"These Are the Results of Police Investigations About the Rampant Destruction of ATMs in Bali" from Suara Bali (Indonesian)
"Klungkung Regency Government Is Ready to Renovate 112 Housing Units for Poor Families" from Antara (Indonesian)
"Ahead of Galungan-Kuningan, Prices of Chili to Canang Sari Potential Increase" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
"Immigration Ngurah Rai Bali Deportation of Russian Interpol Fugitive Lover" from Antara (Indonesian)
"Isolation for 14 Days, Dozens of Citizens of the State Prison Assistance Recover Covid-19" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
"The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Number of Tourists at Taman Ayun Temple Decreased 99%" from Suara Bali (Indonesian)
"Almost Half of the Elementary School Buildings in Karangasem Are Still Damaged" from Bali Express (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 TheBaliBeat@outlanders.global.
About This Newsletter
This newsletter is a product of Migration Media, the hub for stories from and about the international migrant experience.
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