November 4, 2021
Long-distance ground-travel rules changed again + Vaccination target crucial for WSBK success + Ministry says travel policy is complicated + more
Good morning!
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With the island reopening to visitors and the success of the government’s vaccination program, we here at The Bali Beat are happy to mark this new era by including a Local Events section in the newsletter. Starting next week, in the Monday, November 8 issue, we’ll be making space for up to 5 announcements per day from businesses and community organizations that want to let readers know what they’ve got going on.
This is, by far, the single most requested feature for the newsletter, but we don’t want to clutter the reading experience, so these announcements will be limited in length — no more than 100 characters — and they will run after the “Of Interest” stories. Also, as a way to support the reopening efforts, for the first two weeks we’re making these listings available for free on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information and to get your event included, please click here.
Weather & Tides
Today’s Weather for Southern Bali
Today’s Tides
Meteorology, Climatology & Geophysics Council (Link)
Tide table from Tide-forecast.com.
Daily Covid Update
National Figures
Local Figures
The Big News
“Long-distance Ground Travel Requires Antigen Test” from Detik (Indonesian): The Ministry of Transportation has adjusted the rules for land transport during the pandemic. In the latest SE, it is stated that long-distance travelers who use private vehicles, public transportation, and ferry transportation within and outside Java-Bali, with PPKM categories level 3, level 2, and level 1, must show antigen test results a maximum of 1x24 hours and first dose minimum vaccine card. Test results and vaccine card must be presented before departure. "In addition to the requirements for vaccines and antigens, passengers are also required to use the PeduliLindung application," said Director General of Land Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation Budi Setiyadi on Wednesday. Inspections will be carried out randomly at terminals, ferry ports, rest areas, coordination posts, and other checking locations.
“Meeting Vaccination Target Crucial For 2021 WSBK Success” from Antara: Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno has said that the successful implementation of the 2021 Mandalika World Superbike event will require the fulfilment of the vaccination target. On Wednesday, he said that his ministry has collaborated with various stakeholders to expedite vaccinations among the community ahead of WSBK. As of Wednesday, the first dose vaccination rate in NTB province has reached 58.2%, while the coverage for the second dose has reached 24.7%, he noted. Meanwhile, 70.4% of residents of Central Lombok district have received the first dose and 31.8% have received the second dose, he added.
Context: Getting vaccinations to the 70% level required by WSBK organizers has been reported on frequently since the middle of 2021. In late September it was suggested the target could be reached by October 5 and presented to the TNI a birthday present (Indonesian). By October 8 (three days after the TNI’s birthday), about 10% of the population in Central Lombok were fully vaccinated. The WSBK event is scheduled for November 19–21.
“Ministry Highlights Several Factors Influencing Travel Policy” from Antara: The policy that regulates the conditions for people to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic is influenced by myriad aspects for which it is often subject to change, according to the Transportation Ministry's spokesperson, Adita Irawati. "This policy is arranged based on the pandemic situation. The government is striving to adjust the policy by taking into account many aspects,” Irawati said on Wednesday. Irawati explained that the government has continued its efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic by conducting evaluations on the steps taken for COVID-19 handling. "This is not easy for us. However, so far, the result is quite good. We do not want another spike in cases," she said.
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Other Headlines
“Indonesia Leads The Way In Restoring Coral Reefs, Scientists Say” from Al Jazeera: Indonesia is doing more to restore the delicate marine ecosystems than any other country on the Earth, according to a soon-to-be-released survey, which was shown to Al Jazeera ahead of publication. “In recent years there has been a huge effort to restore reefs all over the world. But in terms of the number of documented projects, Indonesia is the world leader,” said Tries Razak, scientist researching coral reef restoration at Java’s IPB University who led the survey. “It’s an amazing achievement and goes hand-in-hand with an ambitious government plan to create 30 million hectares of Marine Protected Areas to ensure coral reefs in Indonesia do not disappear in our generation.”
Vaccination Update
“30 Million More Sinovac Vaccine Doses Needed For Children” from Antara: The Indonesian Ministry of Health has estimated that it will need 25-30 million additional Sinovac vaccines for inoculating children aged 6-11 years. "We should make efforts to fulfil this vaccine need by securing around 25-30 million additional doses of Sinovac vaccine since the current order is not enough to meet the needs of vaccines for children," spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccinations for the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said on Wednesday. She affirmed that the currently available vaccines are being prioritized for adults and the elderly because they are more at risk of serious illness. The spokesperson informed that COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged 6-11 will not commence in the near future as the ministry is still consulting the Indonesian Pediatrician Association and the Indonesia Technical Advisory Group on Immunization, and other related parties, to obtain recommendations.
Context: A report yesterday noted Bali has slightly below 400,000 children (Indonesian) aged between 6 and 11, while a story today stated Jakarta has a target of 900,000 children in the same age bracket.
More ...
Nation: “Four Million Sinovac Vaccines Arrive” from Tempo
Nation: “134,560 Vaccine Doses From UK Arrive In Indonesia” from Antara
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Health Services
“Cabin Crew Play Key Role In Health Protocol Compliance” from Antara: Flight cabin crew play an essential role as supervisors and controllers to ensure passenger compliance with health protocols, head of health handling for the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Alexander Ginting, said on Wednesday. "They (those who travel in planes) must conduct quarantine, be vaccinated, hold a COVID-19 antigen test result, and follow the health protocols," he said. According to Ginting, the implementation of PPKM is proof of an instrument that can control the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, which has successfully realized a decrease in cases from July to October, 2021 to below 2%.
More...
Nation: “Covid Community Transmission Still on, but at Low Level” from Antara
Nation: “Govt Asks People To Remain Alert For Third Covid-19 Wave” from Antara
Province: “Task Force and Gilimanuk Clinics Agree on Antigen Rates” from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Jembrana: “Satpol Finds Residents Not Vaccinated, KTPs Confiscated” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
“Bali Fishery Exports Constrained by Shipping” from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian): Exports of fishery products in Bali are still constrained by limited international flights so that during the third quarter of 2021 there was a decline in the value of shipments. Based on data from the Denpasar Fish Quarantine, Quality Control and Safety of Fishery Products, the export value of fishery products in Bali during the third quarter of 2021 decreased in value by 4.39% year on year (YoY) to Rp478.61 billion. Fishery exports in Bali are aimed at 66 export destination countries, which are dominated by the United States with a market share of 43.3%, Australia 10.79%, Taiwan 10.78%, Japan 9.32%, and China 9.27%.
More ...
Province: “Bali's Export Value Falls 23.21%” from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
Province: “Rice Harvest Area in Bali Potentially Increases” from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
Jembrana: “Cavendish Banana Continue to be Developed in Jembrana” from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Education
“Ministry Asks Parents Not to Worry About Sending Kids to School” from Antara: The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology's Patron for the Early Childhood Education, Franka Makarim, has urged parents to not worry about sending their children to school. "We are all responsible for making this limited face-to-face learning successful. To this end, we need to encourage parents not to worry about sending their children to their early childhood education centers," she said. Reopening of schools has only been allowed in regions whose status of public activity restrictions (PPKM) has been level 1,2, or 3, she said. Makarim added that collaboration between teachers, parents, and the public is crucial to create a harmonious learning environment for children.
More...
Klungkung: “Students and Teachers Exposed, Kadisdikpora Asks to Beware of School Clusters” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Bali Reopening
“Six Villages In Badung Designated As New Tourism Villages” from Antara: Six villages in Badung District, Bali, have been designated as the district's new tourism villages, thereby increasing their total count to 17. "Badung has designated Bongkasa, Dauh Yeh Cani, Sobangan, Cemagi, Penarungan, and Mengwi as the six new tourism villages in the district," Badung District Regional Secretary I Wayan Adi Arnawa stated on Wednesday. The decision to name six other villages as tourism villages in the district are in concert with the central government's mission to prioritise national development from villages, Arnawa said.
More...
Nation: “Asia Tourism Reopens With Big-spending Chinese Stuck At Home” from Reuters
Province: “PHRI Badung is Optimistic of Foreign Tourists Reaching 3,000 Per Day” from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Badung: “Concerned About Kuta, JRX Asks To Remove Quarantine For Foreign Tourists” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
“Indonesia Deports Chicago Woman Who Helped Kill Mother” from AP: An American woman convicted of helping to kill her mother on Bali and stuff the body into a suitcase was deported Tuesday to the United States. Heather Mack, 26, was released from prison on Friday after serving seven years and two months of a 10-year sentence. Her then-boyfriend, who was also convicted in the killing, was sentenced to 18 years and remains in prison. Immigration officials escorted her to Bali’s airport on Tuesday for a flight to Jakarta, where she later departed for Chicago. The badly beaten body of her mother, wealthy Chicago socialite Sheila von Wiese-Mack, was found in a suitcase inside the trunk of a taxi parked at the upscale St. Regis Bali Resort in August 2014. Her attorney said Mack had asked for the girl, who is now 6, to remain with her foster family to avoid media attention in the U.S. Indonesian officials refused.
Context: Other media noted that Indonesian immigration have black-listed Mack for life, while her six year-old daughter has been black-listed for six months.
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Of Interest
“Dozens Of Javan Leopards Found To Inhabit Nusakambangan Island” from Antara
“Komodo Dragons Unharmed In National Park Fire” from Coconuts Bali
“BNN Destroys Methamphetamine Worth IDR 2 Billion” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
“Bali Punk Rock Icon Jerinx Named Anti-narcotics Ambassador” from Coconuts Bali
How You Can Help Bali
Due to the collapse of the tourism sector in Bali, tens of thousands of families have found themselves with a greatly reduced income—if any. If you’d like to support organizations working to help those in need, you can see a list of some here.
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