October 18, 2021
No foreign tourists arriving in Bali yet, here is why + Zero Covid-19 deaths for first time since June 10 + Three killed when 4.8 quake hit Bali on Saturday + more
Good morning!
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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
NOTE: Bali crossed the 4,000 fatality mark over the weekend, yesterday was though the first day in Bali with no fatalities since June 10. It also marked the first increase in the total number of cases in treatment since September 8.
The Big News
“There Are No Foreign Tourists in Karangasem Yet” from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): Chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, Karangasem I Wayan Kariasa said that there had been no foreign tourist visits to Karangasem. However, there is hope for tourist arrivals to start with the opening of international flights as of last Thursday. “A number of hotels in Karangasem last year sold vouchers. It's also called a voucher auction, the price is much cheaper than normal conditions," explained Wayan Kariasa on Friday. According to Wayan Kariasa, only a handful of domestic tourists started arriving to Karangasem, especially during holidays. Although there are foreign tourists seen in a number of tourist attractions, they are tourists who have been living in Bali. Chairman of the Indonesian Mountain Guides Association, Bali I Ketut Mudiada said that no foreign tourists have climbed Mount Agung yet.
Context: The above is one of a series of stories (Indonesian) over the weekend lamenting the lack of foreign tourist arrivals, while others focused on destinations preparing for tourists to return (Indonesian). Media reports that airlines are yet to request any slots while they wait for clear government regulations, noting processing a flight slot request can take up to 14 days (Indonesian). Reports have also suggested the rules for tourist visas is lacking clarity (Indonesian). Meanwhile this story from Friday quotes Bali’s Deputy Governor as suggesting Bali “may be crowded again” no later than early 2022.
“Bali Reports No Covid-19 Fatalities on Sunday” from Bali Post (Indonesian): Unfortunately, reported cures are lower than the number of new cases added and the number of new cases is still in double digits. According to data from the Bali COVID-19 Handling Task Force, the number of cases was reported as 32 people. The cumulative cases reached 113,502 people. Due to the zero cases of death, the cumulative death toll remains 4,005 people. The details are 3,999 Indonesian citizens and 6 foreigners. The number of recovered patients increased by 29 people. The total recovered patients reached 108,975 people. The number of active cases is 522 people. A total of 143 (27.55%) were in referral hospitals. 247 people (47.59%) are in Centralized Isolation and 129 people (24.86%) are in Independent Isolation.
“Earthquake of Magnitude 4.8 Strikes Bali, Kills Three” from Reuters: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 struck Bali on Saturday morning, killing at least three people, Indonesia's search and rescue agency said. The quake affected the Karangasem and Bangli districts and a search has been concluded, the agency said, but authorities were continuing to monitor situation. A landslide triggered by the quake killed two of the victims. A third, a three-year old girl, was killed by falling debris. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 4.8 magnitude quake struck off Banjar Wangsian, and put its depth at 10 km. "All affected by the quake have been evacuated while data on damage is still being collected by Bali's disaster mitigation agency," search and rescue official Gede Darmada said in the statement.
Context: The Indonesian Army assisted in the rescue and recovery efforts, with landslides blocking the road to Trunyan in eight places. Material losses have been estimated to total one billion rupiah (Indonesian) and 243 houses have been reported damaged.
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Other Headlines
“Indonesia Reports Lowest Daily Covid-19 Death Toll since May 2020” from The Jakarta Globe: The Covid-19 situation in Indonesia has improved significantly with a steady decline in new cases and deaths over the last few weeks. The country recorded 19 Covid deaths on Sunday — the lowest single-day death toll since May 25, 2020 — to take the overall fatality toll to 142,952, government figures show. The daily death toll has been below the 100 mark since the start of the month with an average of 60 deaths month to date. A further 747 new cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 4.23 million. The total number of active cases currently stands at 18,388. More than 107 million citizens have had one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine since the mass inoculation began in January, representing 52% of the target population. Of that figure, 62.8 million are fully vaccinated.
Context: Don’t forget, you can follow Bali’s vaccination progress in the Bali Beat Sunday evening edition.
Vaccination Update
“Minister Hartarto Pushes Vaccinations in Mandalika Ahead of WSBK” from Antara: Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, has called for acceleration of vaccinations in the Mandalika Special Economic Zone, ahead of the World Super Bike event. The WSBK will take place from November 19-21 this year. "The event is expected to attract more local and international tourists as well as foreign exchange to Indonesia. Thus, it can revive the economy of the people of Lombok," he said on Saturday. He then urged the NTB Regional Police chief and Commander of the 162 Wirabhakti Provincial Military Command to ensure 70% of residents in the area get the first vaccine does and 50% receive the second dose ahead of the event. As of October 15, 66.04% of residents in the district hosting the event have received the first dose, while only 13.70% have been fully vaccinated, he said.
Context: Crowds of up to 25,000 are expected for the event. The organising committee requires all spectators be fully vaccinated and as of yesterday, 14.71% (112,909 people) in Central Lombok are fully vaccinated.
More ...
Nation: “Over 2.5 Million Pfizer Vaccines Arrive” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Health Services
“Ministry Outlines Six Strategies to Anticipate Third Covid-19 Wave” from Antara: The Ministry of Communication and Informatics has said that the government has formulated six strategies to anticipate a third wave of COVID-19, which could potentially occur by the end of 2021. "Our success in decreasing the number of COVID-19 cases should not end," Minister of Communication and Informatics, Johnny G. Plate, said on Saturday. The first of its six strategies is ensuring the easing of activity restrictions is followed by strict control on the field. Second, the government has continued to increase the vaccination rate among older adults. Third, the government is expediting vaccinations of children. Fourth, the government is implementing strict protocols for international travel. Fifth, it is strengthening the role of local governments in supervising activities and educating residents regarding health protocols. Lastly, it is promoting the health protocols to improve the community's health protocol compliance, Plate said.
More...
Nation: “Prophet's Birthday Holiday Moved in Anticipation of Covid-19 Spike” from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Jembrana: “Bali Experts Distribute Wheelchair Assistance” from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
“Halal Certification for Drugs, Cosmetics Made Mandatory” from Antara: Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas stated that halal certification has been made mandatory for medicine, cosmetics, and consumer goods products starting on Sunday, October 17, as stipulated in the Government Regulation No.39 of 2021 pertaining to the Implementation of Halal Product Insurance. The product coverage in halal product insurance is very wide, including foods, beverages, drugs, cosmetics, chemical products, biological products, genetically-modified products, and consumer goods worn, used, and benefited by the public.
More ...
Province: “PLN Ensures Bali’s Electricity Network No Longer Constrained” from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Province: “Bali First Province to Reach 100% Internet Coverage” from Nusa Bali (Indonesian):
Buleleng: “Coffee Farmers Need Integrated Agriculture” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: “Denpasar Government Supports Establishment of TP2DD” from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Karangasem: “Koster Hopes More Bali Salt Can Be Consumed Locally” from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Tabanan: “24,000 Hens Lay Billions of Rupiah Monthly” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Bali Reopening
“Ngurah Rai Airport Limits International Flights to One Every Two Hours” from Tribun Bali (Indonesian): The Ministry of Transportation has issued Circular Letter Number 85 of 2021 concerning Guidelines for the Implementation of International Travel by Air Transportation During the Covid-19 Pandemic. "Through this Circular, we have regulated the number of international flights through I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, limited to only one flight every two hours," said Director General of Civil Aviation Novie Riyanto on Saturday. Stakeholder Relations Manager Angkasa Pura I International Airport I Gusti Ngurah Rai Bali, Taufan Yudhistira said this was done by the Ministry of Transportation to avoid crowds at the terminal.
Context: Media has reported on warnings from ministers and other stakeholders regarding the danger of foreign tourists spear-heading a new wave of Covid-19 (Indonesian) into the country.
More...
Nation: “Museums Best Partners for Quality Tourism Development” from Antara
Province: “Covid-19 Task Force to Escort Foreign Tourists to Hotel” from Republika (Indonesian)
Badung: “Revitalization For Kuta Beach Toilets” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Buleleng: “Virtual Tourism Promotion a Solution During Pandemic” from Bali Express (Indonesian)
“Insurance of IDR 1 Billion Burdensome” from Tribun Bali (Indonesian): The chairman of the Bali Tourism Association Ketut Ardana responded to the rules which stipulates that foreign tourists must have health insurance with a minimum coverage value of Rp 1 billion. "If that will be one of the obstacles for foreign tourists to destinations, the strict Bali entry requirements will certainly affect the interest and visits of foreign tourists," he said on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Head of the Bali Tourism Board, IB Agung Partha Adyana welcomed this rule. He said, through health insurance, foreign tourists who are not registered as Indonesian citizens can access health facilities properly.
Of Interest
“Balinese Endek and Gringsing Stand Out on National Batik Day” from Antara
“Anticipating Floods, River Cleaning Is Done” from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
“From Fisherman to Prima Donna Tourism” from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
“Australian Students Study Indonesian Dance and Music” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
“Foreigner Falls Off 8-metre Cliff in Tegallalang” from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
“Bloody Duel of Two Foreigners, One Person Suffers a Cut in the Neck” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
How You Can Help Bali
In response to the collapse of the tourism sector in Bali and the resulting economic crisis due to Covid19, tens of thousands of families have found themselves with a greatly reduced income—if any. By the middle of 2020, over 100,000 people on Bali had lost their job. While government support has been limited, Indonesians and foreigners have sprung into action, raising funds and distributing badly needed food and everyday essentials to those most in need.
We've been raising awareness of these efforts, and if you’d like to make a contribution of any kind, you can see a list of some organisations here. Further projects have registered themselves with Bali Solidarity. If you know of an effort and would like to have them listed, please send their information to TheBaliBeat@outlanders.global
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