Monday, March 8
Micro PPKM regulations extended to Mar. 22 + Entry rules for foreigners onto Bali tightened, additional PCR test req'd + Intl schools warned after authorities observe in-person learning + more!
Good morning! Welcome to The Bali Beat for Monday, March 8. [Happy International Women’s Day!] 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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NYEPI REMINDER: The annual Hindu holiday will be observed this coming weekend, on Sunday, March 14. All travel and commerce will be paused, and people are expected to observe a “Silent Day” from 06:00 local time on Sunday until 06:00 local time on Monday. During that period, all broadcast TV, radio, and data (public wifi & cellular 4G) services are scheduled to be stopped. Home internet service is set to continue as normal. You can find more information on Nyepi and the regulations surrounding it here. NOTE: The Bali Beat’s morning news edition will not publish on Monday, March 15 in observance of the holiday, but the evening Covid-19 update will publish as normal.
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 the best numbers for new cases in Bali, weekend or otherwise, since early January. Meanwhile, just three days after setting a record high, deaths have cratered. For the week, the island saw a big drop in total cases (1,312 ⬇️544 / 29%) and a steady number of recoveries (1,622) which has taken pressure off of hospitals by lowering the In Treatment number (1,894 ⬇️364 / 18%). Deaths jumped (54 ⬆️6 / 12%), however.
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 Mikro Extended Again! Also Expanded in Scope" from The Bali Post(Indonesian): The government has again issued a policy of extending the Enforcement of Micro-based Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM) from 9-22 March 2021. Not only the provinces of Java and Bali, the Ministry of Home Affairs has expanded the priority areas for PPKM Micro management in 3 provinces, namely East Kalimantan (Kaltim), North Sumatra (North Sumatra), and South Sulawesi (Sulsel)... The scope of restriction enforcement includes provinces and districts / cities that meet the elements, namely the death rate is above the national average mortality rate, the cure rate is below the national average cure rate, the active case rate is above the national average rate of active cases, and the occupancy rate of hospital beds (Bed Occupancy Ratio / BOE for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and isolation rooms above 70%.
"Tightened Regulations for Arrival of Foreigners and Indonesian Citizens from Abroad [Video]" from iNews Bali(Indonesian): Due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, Bali began to limit the number of international flights to the Island of the Gods. There is further tightening of the entry of foreigners to Bali in anticipation of the spread of the new variant of the Corona B-117 virus. Foreigners and Indonesian citizens who come from abroad are subject to strict health tests. One of them is by requiring PCR checking again even though they already have a negative Covid-19 letter.
"Bali Authorities Warn Schools for Allowing In-Person Learning" from The Bali Sun: Badung Education Agency has strictly warned six schools that were caught facilitating in-person learning during partial lockdown currently in place. The government recently postponed the resumption of in-person classes due to the pandemic, ordering schools in Bali to continue teaching virtually. The majority of the six schools caught violating the order were international schools, with mostly foreign students. The Head of Badung Education, Youth and Sports Agency (Kadispora), I Made Mandi summoned the principals of the six schools in Badung for violating the government regulation. “After receiving reports regarding schools that neglected government instruction to continue the virtual learning process, we called all the principles to give them serious warning,” said Mandi. Mandi told them to stop the in-person learning, otherwise their permit would be revoked.
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Other Headlines
"Expatriates Join Indonesians in Calling Out Foreign Anti-maskers, Anti-vaxxers in Bali" from The Jakarta Post: Stuart McDonald, a 50-year-old Australian writer who lives in Bali, acknowledged that, while most of his colleagues had no problems with following the health protocols, he had seen plenty of foreigners ignoring them, including wearing masks. “Especially in Canggu and Ubud, both of which appear to be epicenters of this anti-masking idiocy movement,” he said. “Wearing a mask is the simplest thing to do. It isn’t like people are being asked to do something that is difficult,” McDonald.
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Patrols
"Netizens Upset to See Foreigners Flying to Bali Not Wearing Masks: Flight Attendants Are Silent" from Suara Bali (Indonesian): Complaints from netizens vial on social media. A netizen reported that foreigners boarded a Citilink plane without wearing masks to Bali. Until 18.35 WIB [on Saturday] the post had been retweeted 4,165 times. Citilink responded to the complaint. "Let us apologize profusely for the inconvenience you are experiencing, please be willing to be able to send your flight details via DM so that we can immediately forward this to the relevant unit. Thank you."
More...
Island: "Bali Authorities Increase Safety Measures at Airport" from The Bali Sun
Denpasar: "15 Prokes Offenders Were Sentenced to Rapid Antigen Test Sanctions in Denpasar" from Antara (Indonesian)
Vaccination Update
"Post Vaccination, Nakes in Buleleng for Two Weeks Zero Corona Cases" from Nusa Bali(Indonesian): The mass vaccination process for Covid-19 that was promoted by the Buleleng Regency Government to ward off the current pandemic, shows a change for the better. The indication is that Buleleng Hospital, which has been the government's referral hospital for handling Covid-19, claims that in the last two weeks there have been no more health workers who have been confirmed positive for Coronavirus... The Director of Buleleng Hospital, Dr. Putu Arya Nugraha, said that this change was felt after the first phase of vaccination was followed by health workers (Nakes) throughout Indonesia, at the end of February 2021. From the results of monitoring, the development of Covid-19 cases that were admitted and treated at Buleleng Hospital after the mass vaccine, began to decline. According to Arya Nugraha, in general the decrease in the number of confirmed Covid-19 patients in Buleleng reached 10%.
More...
Nation: "1,130,524 Indonesian Citizens Have Received the Complete Vaccine" from Antara (Indonesian)
Island: "The Bali Provincial Government Facilitated Hundreds of Media Crews for the Covid-19 Vaccination, Including Antara Bali" from Antara (Indonesian)
Badung: "Jimbaran Unud Hospital Opens Covid-19 Vaccination Post"from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Badung: "Vaccination of Market Traders in Badung Begins" from The Bali Post (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Accelerating Covid-19 Vaccination Activities, Bali Provincial Government Adds Covid-19 Post at FK Warmadewa University" from Tribune Bali (Indonesian)
Gianyar: "Towards Ubud Zero Covid-19, Four Villages Get Priority Vaccines" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Jembrana: "Pursuing Herd Immunity, Health Office Targets Vaccines of 150,000 Jembrana Residents"from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Tabanan: "Vaccinations Targeted Completed in June, Tabanan Needs 630,000 Vaccine Vials"from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
"Orgasm Retreat Organisers in Bali Not Charged" from Indonesia Expat: Investigators at the Gianyar Police in Bali have explained that they didn’t find a criminal element in the case involving Australian citizen Andrew Irvine Barnes holding a yoga event called “Tantric Full Body Energy Orgasm Retreat." Andrew, alongside his partner Xia Lee, opened the yoga class and uploaded an advertisement via social media. The course was offered with a charge of US$600 or Rp8 million, held from Saturday 6th to Tuesday 9th March. However, the post was soon deleted. The Bali Regional Police, Gianyar Police, and Ubud Police immediately conducted an investigation as soon as they learned about the yoga event.
Context: This story has created a huge stir in local media, with several outlets offering nearly hour-by-hour updates on the investigation over the weekend.
"Rampant Wild Race, Bali Police Joint Team Attention on the Highway" from Bali Puspa News(Indonesian): The rampant illegal racing action carried out by teenagers, the joint Bali Police team consisting of Ditlantas, Ditreskrimum, Brimob and Denpasar Police has carried out guarding and increased patrols at several points prone to track events. This activity takes place from Saturday to Sunday (6-7 / 3/2021). The team conducted sweeping around Jalan Gunung Soputan, Mahendradata and Jalan Gatot Subroto, Denpasar starting from 23.30 WITA to 05.00 WITA. As a result, the team secured one motorcycle unit without administration or vehicle equipment.
"More Positive Covid-19 Prisoners, State Prison Sterilized" from Radar Bali(Indonesian): State Detention Centers (Rutan) Class II B of the State sterilized by spraying disinfectants, last Friday (5/3). The spraying of this disinfectant followed the addition of assisted residents who were confirmed positive for Covid-19. Until yesterday, a total of 14 people had been confirmed positive, 12 of whom were assisted residents. As many as 8 inmates who are still confirmed positive are undergoing isolation. The inmates who were confirmed positive for Covid-19 were not isolated at the hotel provided by the Jembrana Covid-19 Handling Task Force due to security considerations.
"Villages in Buleleng are expected to prepare OTG-GR Centralized Isolation Sites" from Bali Puspa News(Indonesian): The village government in Buleleng, Bali is expected to prepare an independent isolation place for People Without Mild Symptoms (OTG-GR) patients with Covid-19 cases. Suyasa explained that previously the handling of OTG-GR patients had long been facilitated by the Bali Provincial Government (Pemprov) through isolation in hotels. Then, the OTG-GR patient management scheme was changed and returned to each region and no longer facilitated. "Returned back to their respective districts," he explained. Therefore, the village is expected to provide facilities for centralized isolation. By searching for places or tourism facilities in each village. Or an appropriate private house according to the Task Force's assessment. "Hopefully so. Villages can provide a suitable place for independent isolation,” he hoped.
Of Interest
"Jokowi’s ‘Hatred' of Foreign Products Raises Eyebrows" from The Jakarta Post (Paywall)
"Cok Ace: Bali Must Have 'Medical Destination'" from The Bali Post (Indonesian)
"Deputy Governor Appreciates International Woman's Day Commemoration with 83 Kilometer Cycling" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
"Desire of Student and Parents for Face-to-Face Learning is High" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
"Gamang North Bali Airport Project, This is an Open View of the Indonesian Parliament" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
"Three Cubic Meters of Garbage Successfully Obtained During DLH Beach Clean-Up Action" from Bali Puspa News (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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