Saturday, July 25
Immigration says date of re-opening to foreigners is not known & Guv makes clear that any day past Sep. 11 will be Central Govt's fault + Island Govt lays out requirements for in-person school + more!
Good morning! Welcome to the COVID-19 Update for Bali for Saturday, July 25. 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
IMMIGRATION ALERT: As of press time, the rumored/leaked Circular regarding changes to the extension process & new visa issuance policy for Emergency Stay Permits has still not been published on the Directorate of Immigration’s website, nor on its social media accounts. As such, its contents should not be considered to be final + it is still technically not legal and local officials are not bound by it. (In fact, they are technically prohibited from following its dictates.) I will continue to monitor the media & official channels for more information and will post news of the final document here once it’s available. In the meantime, you can check for updates during the day by checking imigrasi.go.id or by following Immigration on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
"Sanglah Hospital Caring for 15 Children Exposed Covid-19" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): According to Ketut Ariawati, Chairman of the Children's Health Medical Staff Group at Sanglah Hospital, there were various ages of pediatric patients who were confirmed positive for Covid-19 at Sanglah Hospital. Of children aged less than one year, until the age of more than 10 years. The pediatric patients who have contracted the coronavirus are specifically treated in a separate room from other pediatric patients. "For those who are less than 1 year old there are three people. Then there are one person aged 1-3 years. There are six people aged 3-10 years, and more than 10 years there are five people," he said... He warned, at the beginning of the Covid-19 transmission in Bali, children were not affected by this virus because they had competent immunity. But lately that has not been proven because Covid-19 is dynamic. Even newborns have the potential to get Covid-19 from positive mothers. "We conclude that Covid does not know age. All can be affected, both children and adults," he said.
"Director of Immigration Traffic Checks Bali's Readiness to Open to Foreign Tourism" from Antara (Indonesian): Director of Immigration Traffic at the Directorate General of Immigration under the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Cucu Koswala, said that the most important thing is how the condition of Bali can be kept safe. If later on Bali tourism is opened to foreign tourists there must be no addition of new cases, as the infection of or by visitors could cause Bali to become a new epicenter of the spread of Covid-19. "Because if there is an increase in cases due to tourism, it will have a fatal impact on the economic life of Bali which is very dependent on tourism," he said... The Central Government may reconsider a visa-free visa policy and will apply VOA with special requirements. This is done with the aim of filtering tourists who will visit Bali. "For the sake of our common interests and the interests of tourists too. But this visa issue, will still be discussed, and there has been no decision," he said.
"Before Face-to-Face Learning Can Begin, Schools Must Fulfill Several Conditions" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): Acting Head of the Buleleng District Education, Youth and Sports Agency Made Astika, S.Pd, MM said that the teaching and learning process face to face can be carried out with several requirements that must be met by the school. The four mandatory criteria include: First, an area must have a green zone status; second, schools must have permission from the Regional Government related to the opening of learning; third, schools must meet the checklist related to the application of health protocols; and finally, the school must have permission from parents or guardians of its students.
Other Headlines
"Koster: Governor Not Blocking Foreign Tourists from Coming to Bali" from Antara (Indonesian): Bali Governor Wayan Koster stressed that the blocking of foreign tourists from coming to the Island of the Gods during the Covid-19 pandemic was not due to him limiting or holding them to travel to the area. Per rules set forth by the Minister of Law and Human Rights, those who are allowed to enter Indonesia, including Bali, are those who carry out diplomatic functions, state duties, or emergency tasks in handling health... Permenkumham is still valid. As long as Permenkumham has not been revoked or revised, foreign tourists have not been able to come to Indonesia, including to Bali," said Wayan Koster. He said that he asked when the travel ban might be lifted. "'Minister, when will regulation be ended or revised?' He said that he has not been able to provide certainty because he still sees the dynamics of the field, including policies that apply in other countries. Indonesia cannot also allow it, but other countries prohibit it, it cannot also," said Governor Wayan Koster.
"'Bali Safari' Hosts Travel Agents" from Antara (Indonesian): Bali Safari and Marine Park (BSMP) invites travel agents to see the implementation of health protocols in order to convince visitors to come to the first tourist destination opened in Bali. "We are already open, but the number of visitors to local tourists is still lacking. So we invite our travel agent friends and business partners to participate in inviting and informing the public that it is safe here because of the application of health protocols," General Manager of Bali Safari & Marine Park Thomas Colbert said in Gianyar on Friday.
"After PPDP Officers Reject Rapid Tests, Commission Assures Voters That They Will Not Become a Covid-19 Distribution Cluster" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): 10 voter information update (PPDP) officers in Legian, Badung Regency, have refused to undergo rapid tests on the grounds of experiencing psychological pressure. The officers are temporarily not allowed to carry out their duties before taking a rapid test. "Because of our commitment, every officer who carries out their duties must take a rapid test to provide a sense of security when going out into the community," said Chairman of the Badung Election Commission, I Wayan Semara Cipta.
Non-Covid News of Note
"First Day of Operation Lempuyang Nets Dozens of Drivers in Badung" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): On the first day Operation Obedient Lempuyang, Badung Regional Police stopped dozens of drivers for moving violations, as well as failure to follow health protocols. From those stops they issued 17 tickets and 105 warnings to drivers... Meanwhile, on the second day, Friday (24/7), the operation, which was dominated by white belt police, had mapped the areas with the highest number of traffic violations in Badung regency, which will be the focus of future deployments.
"Hiding in Bali, Interpol Fugitive from America Arrested by Bali Police" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): American Interpol fugitive named Beam Marcus (50), was successfully arrested in the Kerobokan area of North Kuta Badung, by a joint team of Bali Police Ditreskrimum on Thursday (07/23/2020) night. "He is involved in an investment fraud case in his country of 500 thousand dollars. We caught it last night in the Badung region," said Bali Police Chief Inspector General Peter Reinhard Golose... Marcus often moved residences; he has lived in 6 different locations in Ubud, with his last place of residence in Kerobokan. Even during his flight Marcus bought a two-wheeled vehicle used for mobility while in Bali. The vehicle has changed ownership seven times.
"Tabanan Applies Integrated Farming Concept for Ecotourism Development" from Antara: Tabanan District in Bali Province is planning to boost its ecotourism sector by developing a tourist village based on the Green Development Integrated Farming Tourism concept, the district’s head, Ni Putu Eka Wiryastuti, stated. Wiryastuti highlighted the tourists’ willingness to pay more to enjoy the beauty of paddy fields in Tabanan. "This demonstrates that agriculture -- paddy fields -- hold potential in the tourism sector in order to boost both the economy and food resilience," she noted.
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.
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 will polish the excerpt and/or write a short summary in proper English to help clarify the details.
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