October 25, 2021
Foreign quarantine escapees could be deported + Government rules keeping foreign tourists at bay + Garuda on brink of bankruptcy + 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: Yesterday’s figure of 21 new cases was a new low for 2021. Likewise the in treatment figure is at the lowest level it has been at since mid last year. Yesterday was also the third time this month Bali recorded no deaths.
The Big News
“Tourist Quarantine in Bali Strictly Monitored, Sanctions for Deportation” from CNN Indonesia (Indonesian): Secretary of the Bali Province Covid-19 Task Force, I Made Rentin, said that while undergoing a five-day quarantine at the hotel after arriving in Bali, foreign tourists would be closely monitored for 24 hours. "That's 24 hours, tightening supervision at quarantine hotels. There is a combined element, there is a health post by the KKP including a health clinic provided by the hotel and joined by security officers from three elements of the TNI, Polri, and Task Force represented by elements of the Satpol PP," said Rentin on Saturday. “The Governor firmly said that foreigners who violate health protocols, violate the rules, will be deported," said Rentin.
“Bali Reopens to Foreign Tourists, but Government Rules Keep Them Away” from The New York Times (Metered Paywall): Not a single international flight carrying tourists has landed in Bali, one of the world’s most popular destinations, and none are scheduled, even though Indonesia announced more than a week ago that the popular island was finally open again for tourists. Arriving foreign tourists must spend their first five days in quarantine, but so far, hotels offering quarantine on the island report that no one has booked a room. “We have been waiting every day for a week,” said Fransiska Handoko, vice chair of the Bali Hotels Association. “Where are they?”
Context: In a podcast interview with the South East Asia Travel Show on October 19 (See Bali reopening section below), a representative of the Bali Hotel Association said its member hotels had stays of around 1,000 rooms on their books for November and lots of enquires for quarantine packages in December. “The demand is there,” they said.
“Garuda on the Brink of Bankruptcy” from The Jakarta Globe: Garuda Indonesia could face bankruptcy amid ballooning debts and financial hardships due to the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to reports on Sunday, the government has prepared all possible contingencies for Garuda, including liquidation and a replacement by state-owned air charter company Pelita Air Service if ongoing rescue measures are fruitless. “If we meet a dead-end, we will close [Garuda] down because injecting more state money is impossible given the company’s massive debt loads,” Kartiko Wirjoatmodjo, a deputy for the state-own enterprises minister, said. He said Garuda is currently negotiating with lenders and tens of aircraft lessors in its attempts to restructure debts. Even if Garuda can stabilize its financial conditions, it’s almost certain that the company will no longer be able to serve long-haul flights in the future, Kartiko added.
Context: A Pertamina subsidiary, Pelita Air Services currently has a total fleet of six fixed-wing aircraft, two of which have been converted to freighters. Operating under this name since 1970, the airline’s activities have historically been based around the oil and natural gas industry.
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Other Headlines
“Mataram Tourism Service Readies Quarantine Center for WSBK Spectators” from Antara: The Mataram City Tourism Service in West Nusa Tenggara Province confirmed to have readied a centralized quarantine facility for the World Superbike motorcycle racing spectators that were identified positive for COVID-19. The World Superbike championship will be held on November 19-21, 2021, at the Mandalika Circuit, in Lombok. "If needed, we are ready to facilitate centralized quarantine for WSBK spectators," Head of the Mataram City Tourism Service H. Nizar Denny Cahyadi said on Friday.
Context: As of yesterday, the fully vaccinated level in Central Lombok was 21.34% or, around 163,000 people.
Vaccination Update
“Covid-19 Vaccination Inequality Hinders Realization of National Target” from Antara: Member of the Expert Team at the University of Lambung Mangkurat for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling, Hidayatullah Muttaqin, believes that COVID-19 vaccination inequality between regions had hindered realization of the national vaccination target. "The government needs to encourage the acceleration of vaccination in areas that have not reached the maximum target for vaccination," Muttaqin said on Friday. According to the expert team's member, vaccination inequality occurred between Java-Bali and outside Java, as well as between cities and districts.
Context: Don’t forget, you can follow Bali’s vaccination progress in the Bali Beat Sunday evening edition.
More ...
Nation: “66.3 Million Indonesians Fully Vaccinated” from Antara
Nation: “Spokesperson Urges Public to Get Fully Vaccinated” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Klungkung: “Police Hold Door-to-door Vaccinations for Elderly” from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Health Services
“Shops and Supermarkets Must Provide Pedulilindungi Scanners” from Radar Bali (Indonesian): A number of large-scale businesses in Denpasar have not yet provided PeduliLindungi barcodes. This is evident from the findings of the joint apparatus when carrying out a level II PPKM Prokes raid in Denpasar on Friday. Denpasar City Police Head, Dewa Sayoga, said that places of business that are required to provide PeduliLindungi barcodes are places of business such as supermarkets, malls and shops. "Such as supermarkets and shops. We also urge any business that has the potential to bring in many people to prepare the device (barcode)," said Sayoga on Sunday.
More...
Nation: “Be Alert, Follow Health Protocols While Traveling, Indonesians Told” from Antara
Bangli: “Bangli Keeps Routine Prokes Raids” from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Denpasar: “Distan Boosts Rabies Vaccination for Animals” from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
“Cyberattacks cost Indonesian SMEs dearly” from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall): Cyberattacks against big companies and government institutions in Indonesia have made headlines in recent months. However, criminals are also targeting small and medium enterprises, often causing devastating losses of revenue or reputation. A new study from technology company Cisco shows that one-third of Indonesian SMEs suffered from cyberattacks in the last 12 months. Among those experiencing cyberattacks, 43% said they lost at least US$500,000 in revenue and spending for recovery, while 12% said they lost more than $1 million. Cisco Indonesia director Marina Kacaribu said the longer it took a business to detect and remediate a cyberattack, the more severe its impact on operational performance and revenue.
More ...
Nation: “Indonesia Implements Food Waste Management Strategy” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Province: “PLN records the highest peak load of electricity for 2019-2021 in Java-Bali” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Klungkung: “Dozens of Residents Hold Peaceful Actions at PKB Project Site” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Education
PGRI Denpasar Health Vocational School Conducts Learning With Strict Procedures” from from Antara Bali (Indonesian): The head of the Denpasar PGRI Health Vocational School, I Made Sudana, said that his party had carried out learning with strict health protocols so that they were allowed to do face-to-face learning. "The competence of our students is in the fields of nursing and pharmacy, so they require hands-on practice," said Sudana on Saturday. Therefore, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, his party has continued to communicate intensively with the local COVID-19 Task Force. This is because online learning is a barrier in itself, especially for vocational high schools (SMK) which in fact are practice-based. Finally, since November 2020, students are allowed to hold face-to-face learning (PTM) on condition that the health protocol (prokes) is strict.
More...
Province: “Bali Language Agency Drafts Dictionary for Balinese Learners” from Antara
Bali Reopening
Klungkung: “European Tourists Cancel Due to Quarantine” from Radar Bali (Indonesian): Bali's tourism destinations have been hit hard from two sides. The domestic market was hit by the mandatory PCR regulation for airplane passengers in Java-Bali, on the other hand foreign tourists were hit by many regulations, especially the mandatory PCR twice and five-day quarantine. The Chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Karangasem, I Wayan Kariasa, on Saturday said due to the mandatory PCR regulation for airplane passengers, potential guests or domestic tourists from Jakarta and Surabaya canceled visits to Karangasem. “People who want to go to Karangasem think again. Because there is an additional accommodation fee, namely the PCR test, which is quite expensive," he explained. “As of November, Thailand is already open. So it will be quite difficult if this rule is still enforced. Currently, hotel room occupancy in Karangasem is still very low, below 10%," he said.
More...
Denpasar: “Mandatory PCR Starts on Sunday, Number of Visits Drops” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
“What Happens Next?, with the Bali Hotels Association” from The South East Asia Travel Show: Bali is preparing to welcome back international tourists for the first time in 19 months. Progress is slow, however, and the situation is complex. At present, no inbound flights are confirmed. So, today’s show takes an up-close look at one of South East Asia’s emblematic reopening stories. Gary is joined by Simona Chimenti, Marketing & Media Relations Director of the Bali Hotels Association and General Manager of The Pavilions Bali in Sanur, and Melina Caruso, Technology & Marketing Consultant for the Bali Hotels Association. We discuss the various regulations being put into place for vaccinated tourists, and the current list of 19 countries from which visitors can travel to Bali. We also look at the importance of domestic tourism, and the challenges ahead for hotels, airlines, tour operators and all travel businesses.
*Note: Click on the embedded player above to listen or open the episode in Spotify. You can also find it in your favorite podcast app by searching for “The South East Asia Travel Show,” or you can listen to it on the program’s website here. If you’ve heard a podcast or watched a video that you think can inform issues that we are facing here in Bali, let us know at TheBaliBeat@outlanders.global.
Of Interest
“Have Sumatran Fishing Crews Found the Fabled Island of Gold?” from The Guardian
“Government Extends Earthquake Emergency Response Until 29 October” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
“Mount Batur Fires Are Successfully Extinguished” from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
“Foreigners Allegedly Drunk Driving Car Against Current” from Detik (Indonesian)
“Balinese Barista to Represent Indonesia at 2021 World Cup Tasters Championship” from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
“Bring 1 Kg of Cannabis, Stephanie Charged with 12 Years in Prison, Fined Rp 1 Million” 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
About This Newsletter
This newsletter is a product of Outlanders.
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A “Context” note, along with a reference link may be added after an excerpt to include additional information and/or links to further reading on the topic.
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