Saturday, July 18
Grim milestone as multiple deaths recorded for 3rd straight day + Jakarta adopts app-based entry permit & tracing tool + Blood plasma donations now being accepted + Ubud Lit Festival canceled + more!
Good morning! Welcome to the COVID-19 Update for Bali for Saturday, July 18. Please subscribe and share it with others in the foreigner community on the island. 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.* When signing up, select the "None" option and you'll get it delivered to your Inbox each day. If you would like to support my work, please consider making a voluntary contribution of US$5/month. Supporters receive an early update on the government’s daily infection & recovery numbers each night within an hour or so of their announcement… plus my enduring gratitude!
Status Update
National Numbers:
Bali Numbers:
Regency Numbers:
Confirmed Cases Distribution:
Key: Red = Infected | Green = Recovered | Black = Died
30-Day Trends:
More details on the locations of positive cases within each Regency, as well as the number of suspected cases ("ODP") and people under in-patient observation ("PDP"), can be found in charts & infographics on the websites of each Regency's Covid-19 Task Force:
Badung | Bangli | Buleleng | Denpasar City | Gianyar | Jembrana | Karangasem | Klungkung | Tabanan
Sources:
The national update comes from the Indonesia National Disaster Management Agency: @BNPB_Indonesia
The Bali Numbers infographic comes from the Bali Provincial Government COVID-19 Task Force (link).
The Confirmed Cases Distribution map & Regency Numbers figures come from the Bali Provincial Government's data collection department (link).
NOTE: While the national government includes daily testing totals in its infographic, Bali’s provincial government does not routinely release this data, so it is not included.
The Big News
"Again, Three Covid-19 Patients in Bali Died" from Bali Express (Indonesian): The number of patients in the care of Covid-19 who died has continued to increase in the last few days. According to the data from the Covid-19 Acceleration of Handling (GTPP) Task Force, Friday (7/17), three patients were reported dead. The three patients were scattered in Badung, Gianyar, and Karangasem Regencies. With the addition of these three cases, bringing the cumulative number of patients in the care of Covid-19 who died to 35 people... Treatment of patients whose cases are still active was spread across 17 hospitals. Some others undergo quarantine in several places, such as Bapelkesmas, UPT Nyitdah, Wisma Bima, Ibis Hotels, Grand Mega Hotels and BPK Training Centers. (Ed. Note: Yesterday marks the second time in 2 weeks that there have been multiple fatalities on at least 3 consecutive days. 8 deaths have been recorded since Wednesday- the most since 9 people passed away from the virus between July 4-7. Yesterday was also the second day in a row that Bali’s number of infections was among the 5 worst in the country.)
"Jakarta Replaces Entry and Exit Permit with App-based Monitoring System to Contain Covid-19" from The Jakarta Post: The Jakarta administration has waived the exit and entry permit (SIKM) requirement for travelers entering or leaving the capital city since Monday following the activation of the Corona Likelihood Metric (CLM) that is accessible through the city’s smart city mobile app Jakarta Kini (Jaki)... Jakarta Transportation Agency head Syafrin Liputo said the SIKM was initially aimed at restricting people’s mobility during the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) period. The CLM was developed to control people’s activities so they would feel safe during the PSBB transition period imposed by the city administration.
"Bali Begins Accepting Blood Plasma Donations for Treatment of Covid-19" from Bali Plus: Bali rolled out blood plasma donations from recovered Covid-19 patients at the blood transfusion unit of the Sanglah Hospital on Thursday. Blood plasma donations which are the first carried out in Bali, will later be used for therapy treatment of Covid-19 patients. This method of treatment is subject to the willingness of recovered patients to donate their blood plasma... As part of Bali’s independent efforts to treat Covid-19 patients, the availability of blood plasma is required. “We must be able to be independent, starting from the donors, the process of implementation, storage, distribution of plasma and management in hospitals,” said Ketut Suarjaya, Head of Bali Public Health.
Other Headlines
"Bali Governor Says Recent Spikes In Covid-19 Cases Not Due to Loose Restrictions" from Coconuts: Bali Governor Wayan Koster denied that recent spikes in COVID-19 cases in the province resulted from loosened restrictions which began last Thursday, noting instead that the province’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak is going well. “The cases are from market clusters in Kumbasari, Padangsambian, Galiran and now in Bangli. I think it will be settled,” Koster said yesterday... [O Thursday] Bali recorded the second-highest spike since the onset of the coronavirus outbreak, with 112 new COVID-19 cases that brought the provincial total to 2,533. It’s the second time in the past week since the province recorded over a hundred daily cases. The provincial government restarted activities within the island on July 9, which has seen a gradual return across different sectors under strict health protocols. (Ed. Note: Given that in most cases it takes 10-14 days for symptoms to manifest, it is premature to start blaming the increase in Covid-19 cases recorded this week on the start of Bali’s “New Normal” reopening.)
"The Movement of Domestic Passengers at Ngurah Rai Airport Begins to Increase" from Antara (Indonesian): "As of July 9-10 there has been an increase in domestic passengers. So every day now domestic passengers departing and departing reach 2,000 to 2,500 passengers," said Andanina Dyah Permata Megasari, Communication and Legal Manager of PT Angkasa Pura I Airport Branch Office I Gusti Ngurah Rai Bali. He said, for the current domestic flight planes, the average number was around 20 aircraft for departure and arrival, and also about 20 flights per day. "So the current average of aircraft movements is now around 40 flights per day with popular domestic routes being Jakarta, Surabaya and then Makassar," he said.
"2020 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival Postponed Due to Covid-19" from Antara (Indonesian): "This is not an easy decision. Not only does it affect the Foundation and Festival teams, but it also means the loss of revenue through ticket sales and many valuable partnerships and financial support, "Janet DeNeefe, founder and Director of UWRF, said... The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF), which was first held in 2004, is now known as one of the largest literary festivals in Southeast Asia. UWRF, as one of the biggest literary festivals in Southeast Asia, and UFF as the leading food festival in Indonesia, is a cross-cultural meeting that shows the culture and talents of Indonesia on a diverse global stage.
"As More Medical Personnel Are Exposed to Corona, Hospitals in Bali Asked to Tighten Covid-19 Preventive SOPs" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): "We have conveyed it to all hospitals, through meetings and circulars, we certainly have to do a more stringent protocol and SOP so as not to increase the number of health workers exposed to Covid-19," said Head of the Bali Provincial Health Service, Ketut Suarjaya. He said, sometimes the medical staff were not aware that every patient even without symptoms could lead to Covid-19.
"If Bali Tourism is to Open for Foreign Tourists on September 11, Travel Industry Expects Government to Open Visa On Arrival" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): Deputy Chairman of the Bali Provincial Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) for Tourism, Made Wijaya, said, "Direct flights and VoA (Visa On Arrival) are needed. If there are no tourist flights there is no coming," said Wijaya... According to I Putu Winastra, Secretary of the Association of the Indonesian Tours & Travel Agencies (ASITA) of Bali,, without VoA tourists can not come to the Island of the Gods. "The government says the international border in Bali is open on September 11. Hopefully the government will simultaneously open VoA because there is a ministerial regulation on the prohibition of foreigners from entering Indonesia. If VoA is not opened, tourists will not come. So don't wait," he said.
"Experts Urge Government to Fix Covid-19 Handling to Prevent Social Unrest" from The Jakarta Post: Economist from Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University's (UGM) School of Economics and Business, Eddy Junarsin, said he predicted Indonesia’s negative economic growth to continue in the third quarter, which could lead to the country entering a recession. The situation, he said, could be worse if the government failed to take more accurate and consistent policies in handling the current crisis caused by the pandemic... Eddy stressed that if the government could improve its handling of the pandemic and come up with better management schemes, the economy could rebound in the fourth quarter. However, if the government failed, he added, there was potential for social unrest to emerge, spurred by high unemployment and poverty rates.
Non-Covid News of Note
"Denpasar Transportation Agency Records 5,000 People Who Come, But CFD Implementation Postponed" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): After briefly holding a simulation, last Sunday, the Denpasar City Transportation Department has decided to postpone the implementation of Car Free Day (CFD) in Denpasar City. At the time of the simulation it was found that there were still many people who were clustered together and difficult to track. The application of health protocols is still considered to be lacking because it seems that there are still many people who ignore it.
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 fund 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.
Resources
Important information for foreigners who are staying on the island, such as designated COVID-19 hospitals and emergency contact numbers, can be found by following this link.
The government has cancelled its visa-on-arrival process and rolled out enhanced entry requirements for people traveling to Indonesia; they have also cancelled the automatic Emergency Stay Permit program that had been extended to most foreigners who are still in the country on temporary stay visas. You can see a (translated) list of all of the relevant entry regulations on the Directorate General of Immigration & Ministry of Law and Human Rights' website here. Scroll down halfway to the heading "Foreign nationals still residing in Indonesia due to suspending departure and ITAS & ITAP holders overseas" to see their list of which visas can still be extended. If you reside in Badung Regency, from the southern end of the island up to North Kuta, you need to make an appointment with the Immigration office in the Airport before you go in. You can make your appointment here. Follow them on social media to receive policy updates as soon as they are released: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Local travel website Traveloka has a helpful page with a summary of what’s needed to travel to and within the country. You can also order a rapid test or swab (PCR) test via their platform: Link
The British Embassy in Jakarta has recently posted a great summary of the Indonesian government's travel restrictions on their Facebook page. You can read it here.
The EU has launched a website to help travelers stay informed about how member states will be accelerating the reopening of their borders. Through the “EU Re-open” website, travelers can enter the name of the country they wish to visit and find out the rules that will apply after each place's coronavirus lockdown. Information on the EU Re-open website and app will continue to be updated in line with the developments of the coronavirus pandemic.
If you are trying to plan travel anywhere, here are some of the best up-to-date resources that can help you:
IATA Travel Center Update - The International Air Transport Association is the global lobbying body for the aviation industry. Their Travel Information Manual Automatic (Timatic) database feeds into airlines' reservation systems, so it is the most reliable list of flight restrictions around.
Revolver Maps' Travel Restrictions Database - This list pulls directly from IATA's Timatic database and arranges the countries in lists that are easier to navigate and creates share-able links for every country. NOTE: This is a third-party service and they warn that the updates to their system can be delayed by several hours for certain countries.
Al Jazeera Travel Restriction & Border Shutdown Tracker - A companion list that includes less technical summaries of each country's travel restrictions, beyond just flights and airport access.
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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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 will polish the excerpt and/or write a short summary in proper English to help clarify the details.
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