Saturday, December 19
Travel rules changed; swab tests good for 7 days, not req'd for people from areas where testing is not readily available + Police & militia flood Gilimanuk to monitor ferry passengers + more!
Good morning! Welcome to The Bali Beat for Saturday, December 19. If you’re not a subscriber, sign up here to get this update delivered directly to your Inbox every Monday-Saturday 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 foreigner community on the island by clicking the button below.
I happily put this daily newsletter together as a public service, and it will be free so long as the current emergency lasts. *A paid subscription is NOT required to access this content.* However, if you would like to support my work, please consider making a donation of US$5/month by becoming a contributing subscriber at the link above. Or if you prefer to make a one-time donation - in any amount - click here.
PUBLICATION SCHEDULE UPDATE: I’m off tomorrow, so there will be no newsletter in the morning. However, the evening Covid-19 update will publish as normal; and being Sunday, it will include a wrap-up of the week’s numbers and put them in context with previous weeks. Also, this is final Saturday edition of the newsletter going forward. I’ll be taking the last week of the month off (Dec. 26 - Jan. 3), and when the newsletter returns it will be on a Monday-Friday schedule.
This had always been my plan, but the initial stages of the Covid-19 emergency produced so much news and the need for information was so great that there was constant pressure to do more. Back then there did not seem to be enough time to cover everything, which is why when this newsletter first launched in April it came out 7 days per week. It wasn’t until August that I discontinued the Sunday edition, and now feels like the right time to downshift slightly to a regular work week-inspired schedule.
The Covid-19 updates will continue to come out every evening - weekends included - without fail, so long as the need is there. That won’t change... but other things will. I’ve got plans to improve the newsletter, and subscribers will see messages soon looking for feedback on some of them, as well as for thoughts on what’s been produced so far. I’m in this for the long haul; The Bali Beat goes on.
Thank you to everyone in the Bali community who has sent messages of support over these first 9 months. Your kind words have made me feel welcome here and helped me push through some rough times, like when needy puppies at night + the newsletter in the morning meant no sleep for several days, and I didn’t know how I could possibly go on. And a HUGE THANK YOU to the folks who have placed classified ads, all of the voluntary contributors, and the folks who have sent one-off donations. Your support has made it possible for me to justify the time spent working on this project, and has laid the foundation for what I hope will be much bigger things to come. 😘
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: Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers.
The Big News
"Rules for Entering Bali Changed; PCR Swab Tests Now Valid for A Maximum of 7 Days Prior to Departure" from Bali Plus: For air travel, the validity period of the swab test results using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, which was originally valid for a maximum of 2 days prior to departure was changed to a validity period of 7 days before departure. Passengers who come from areas that do not have a swab test facilities using the PCR method are also excluded. “After arriving at Ngurah Rai Airport, it is permitted to perform the PCR and antigen tests,” said Regional Secretary Dewa Made Indra.
"Gilimanuk Port is Tightly Guarded by TNI-Polri, Tourists are Checked for Rapid Antigen Test Requirements" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): Security at the entrance to Bali through the Gilimanuk Port was tightened after Governor Wayan Koster issued a new entry regulation on the Island of the Gods. For tourists who come, they must show the results of the antigen rapid test which states that they are free of Covid-19. "We Polri and TNI will carry out the circular from the Governor of Bali by guarding Gilimanuk Port," said Jembrana Police Chief AKBP I Ketut Gede Adi Wibawa. Meanwhile, Kodim 1617 Jembrana will also mobilize personnel to follow up on the SE Governor Wayan Koster regarding the requirements for tourists to enter Bali. "There will be a thickening of 20 people in Gilimanuk," said Dandim 1617 Jembrana, Lt. Col. Inf Hasrifuddin Haruna.
VACCINE PRIMER: Here’s a fun explainer about the difficulties & complexities of transporting & distributing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine through the prism of Dippin’ Dots ice cream. Definitely worth your valuable 4 minutes of time! 😎
>> Classifieds <<
Community is so important- especially in times like these. If you’re looking to connect with the community of dedicated, engaged foreigners in Bali who’ve stayed during this pandemic, you can reach them with a classified ad in this space. Check out this page to find out how.
Other Headlines
"Bali DPRD Requests for Swab Subsidies at the Airport" from Nusa Bali(Indonesian): The Bali DPRD asked for a fee waiver for the swab test for domestic travelers who enter Bali through the entrance to Ngurah Rai International Airport. At a minimum, price concessions are given through government subsidies. Meanwhile, the rapid antigen test for land travelers through Gilimanuk Port, Melaya District, Jembrana has been in effect starting Friday. "Now, there is again the burden of paying [for PCR-based swab tests]. This is also burdensome. If possible, there is a reduction in costs, so that people who want to vacation in Bali do not delay their visit," said Chairman of Commission II of the Bali DPRD (which is in charge of tourism), Ida Gede Komang Kresna Budi.
(Ed. Note: Airport authorities have started a rapid antigen testing service in the terminal, and are pricing the tests at IDR 170,000. These tests are only good for flights to regions where they are required - Jakarta requires a swab test to enter, for instance - as well as to board ferries. People are waiting in long lines for this service.)
"Ngurah Rai Airport Receives 434 Extra Year-End Flights" from Bali Express (Indonesian): Until Thursday afternoon, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport received 434 requests for extra flights or extra flights from several airlines that will operate during the end of 2020 holiday period. Of the 434 proposals for extra flight, it is estimated that it will carry as many as 55,000 passengers. With details, 124 flights from Air Asia, and 310 from Citilink. The peak for passenger arrivals will occur on Friday, December 25, with an estimated number of passenger arrivals of 11,726. Meanwhile, the peak estimate for passenger departures is Tuesday, December 29, with 12,922 passengers leaving Bali.
"Head of Bali Health Office Says That There Have Been Patients Who Have Been Infected with Covid More Than Once" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): Head of the Bali Health Office, Dr. Ketut Suarjaya, stated that Covid-19 patients in Bali have been infected more than once. He said it could possibly happen. "There are several cases of Covid-19 infected and they can occur. Some are infected again," said Suarjaya. However, Suarjaya did not disclose the data. "I do not memorize the number," he concluded.
(Ed. Note: Because the Covid-19 coronavirus is so new - it’s been just over a year since it was first identified - the science on the chances for reinfection is not clear yet. It’s happened enough that we know that the chance exists, but it does seem to be rare- or the reinfections produce symptoms that are so mild that the person doesn’t realize they’ve caught Covid-19 again. Most research agrees at this point that people who get the sickest produce the most antibodies against the virus, which would protect them the longest, and even mild cases produce enough antibodies to most likely protect somebody for 3 months. But antibodies are not the only kind of immune response. B cells and T cells can hold the instructions for how to fight off viruses, and they last a lot longer than antibodies. Check out this article for a clear breakdown of what we know about reinfection so far, what the science suggests, and which questions scientists are trying to answer right now.)
"Bali Police Deploys Thousands of Police During Nataru, 14 Security Focal Points" from Bali Puspsa News (Indonesian): 1414 joint personnel will be deployed at 19 security post points and 3 integrated posts and a number of service posts. This security is carried out to create a sense of security in the community for year-end activities. "However, there are still appeals and restrictions in this New Year's activities. So we will place this post in the context of prevention," explained Bali Police Chief, Inspector General Putu Jayan Danu Putra. In the case of this prokes [health protocols], his party together with related agencies always continue to carry out Operation Yustisi [enforcement].
"Luhut Said the Reason for Going to Bali Was Tight: 200,000 People Wanted to Come" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan revealed the reason for the government to tighten the entry requirements for Bali . One of the reasons is the increasing number of tourists who will come to Bali. "Yesterday we wanted to go to Bali, there were more than 200,000 people for 10 days, that's why we tightened it a little," said Luhut. According to Luhut, the tightening was carried out to control the movement of domestic tourists in order to suppress the transmission of Covid-19 in Bali. Currently the Covid-19 case has not shown a downward trend. "Because if not, what will happen later? (Covid-19 case) Bali will rise again," he said.
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 newsletter@migrationmedia.net.
About This Newsletter
This newsletter is a product of Migration Media, the hub for stories from and about the international migrant experience.
Our standards
We only include news items from established media sources
We do not share rumors.
We do not include opinion pieces or forecasts.
For all stories marked "Indonesian" I have used Google Translate to convert it from Bahasa. In most cases I try to polish the excerpt and/or write a short summary in proper English to help clarify the details.
For any questions, comments or tips, please contact us at newsletter@migrationmedia.net.