September 1, 2021
Bali Covid-19 taskforce aligns data with national standards + Communications ministry investigates alleged eHAC data leak + Bali bombing case starts at Guantanamo Bay + more
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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.
Local Covid Numbers
*Note: As at the time of press the Bali Provincial Government has not released the English version of its infographic. The Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers is also yet to be published and is apparently being reworked into a new format.
The Big News
“Bali COVID-19 Taskforce Re-work Case Numbers” from Bali Post: Today, there is a significant data change in the cumulative numbers for Covid-19 cases in districts and cities. Even for recovered patients, with significant differences from the previous day, reaching hundreds of cases. From the data of the Bali COVID-19 Handling Task Force as of August 30, the cumulative recovered patients reached 96,642 people. However, in today's latest data, although there were an additional 259 people, the cumulative number actually decreased by 5 people to 96,637 people. There was also a significant difference in active cases, though the number of patients who died was consistent. Secretary of the Bali COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Made Rentin confirmed the changes, noting the difference in data is due to the integration of Bali’s numbers into national applications.
“Kominfo Investigates Alleged eHAC Data Leak” from Antara Bali (Indonesian): The Ministry of Communication and Information is still investigating allegations of data leakage in the Electronic Health Alert Card (eHAC) application. eHAC is an application owned by the Ministry of Health that is used as a verification card, vigilance control and conditions that need to be met by travelers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are conducting an investigation," said Spokesperson for the Ministry of Communication and Information, Dedy Permadi, said Tuesday. The leaked data is not only data on ID cards, but also touches data on COVID-19 test results, passports, hospital and clinic data that have tested users, to eHAC account creation data. The National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) has disabled the database as of August 24, therefore this report has only been published a week after the database should no longer be accessible.
Context: VPNMentor’s full report on the data leak, which includes examples of the data leaked, noted that even basic security measures were not undertaken. They write “With access to a person’s passport information, date of birth, travel history, and more, hackers could target them in complex (and simple) schemes to steal their identity, track them down, scam them in person, and defraud them of thousands of dollars.”
“Bali Bombing Case Starts at Guantanamo Bay, 18 Years After Suspects Arrested” from AP: Three men accused of the deadly 2002 Bali nightclub bombings have had their first day in court after being held by the US without charge at the Guantanamo Bay detention Centre for 18 years. The Jemaah Islamiah attack in Kuta killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. Indonesian prisoner Encep Nurjaman, known as Hambali, and two Malaysians started their arraignment on Monday (local time) before a military commission. During the nearly five-hour hearing at the US base in Cuba, the three were charged with crimes including murder, conspiracy and terrorism. Slowed by problems with the courtroom interpreters, the military commission was unable to finish the long-delayed arraignment and it was expected to resume on Tuesday. The case is expected to take years to resolve. The war crimes tribunal for the three faces many of the same issues that have caused other Guantanamo cases to languish for years, including evidence tainted by CIA torture, as well as the challenges posed by the men's prolonged imprisonment without charge.
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Other Headlines
“Under PPKM Level 4, Bali COVID-19 Testing Target is Reduced” from Bali Post (Indonesian): In the latest regulation signed by the Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, a number of adjustments are made, one of which is the test target for tracing COVID-19. Bali, which is still undergoing PPKM Level 4, has seen a reduction in the number of people being tested daily. From the previous week at 9,063 people to 5,378 people per day for the next week (31 August to 6 September). There was a reduction of 3,685 people. When compared between Regulation No. 38 of 2021 and Regulation No. 34 In 2021, there will be a decrease in testing targets in 8 districts/cities. Only Jembrana did not experience a reduction in testing targets. The district is still targeted to test 604 people per day.
Context: The story did not clarify why testing targets have been reduced under PPKM Level 4.
Vaccination Update
“Indonesia to Receive 331 Million Vaccines in Aug-Dec” from Antara: Indonesia will receive an additional 331.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from August to December 2021, President Joko Widodo said Tuesday. "We will also get a total of 331,675,000 vaccine doses through August to December 2021, with details of 258,675,000 vaccines, which have been fixed, and 73 million others, which are unfixed or waiting for further developments," Widodo said. Currently 61.5 million or 29.5% of Indonesians have received the first vaccine jab and 34.8 million or 16.7% of the people have received the second shot, or have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, he said. The number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia have also continued to decline, he noted. In the last two weeks, COVID-19 cases in Indonesia have passed the peak of transmission, and the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has dropped by a significant 86.9%, he said.
Context: The Indonesian government received 15.2 million doses of the AstraZeneca and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines in three batches on Monday afternoon. The 43rd and 44th batches of the vaccines from the two brands were received in the form of finished products, while the 45th batch of around 9.2 million vaccine doses was received from Sinovac in the form of raw materials.
More...
Denpasar: “Denpasar Second Vaccination Doses Accelerated by Using Banjars” from iNews Bali (Indonesian)
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Health Services
Nation: “Covid-19 Case Surge in USA a Warning for Indonesia” from Antara
Nation: “Covid-19 Task Force Explains Why PPKM Is Carried Out in Stages” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Province: “If Bali’s Economy Wants to Recover, Bali Police Chief Asks Residents to Obey Prokes” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Province: “48 Workers From West Java Using Fake Antigen Letters Seized at Gilimanuk Harbor” from iNews Bali (Indonesian)
Badung: “In North Kuta, PPKM Violations Continue to be Found” from Bali Post (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
“Dozens of Denpasar Tourist Lodgings Close Permanently, Hundreds Temporarily” from Bali Post (Indonesian): The COVID-19 pandemic has closed a number of accommodations in the tourism sector. Whether it's a hotel, villa, or tourist lodge business. According to the Denpasar Tourism Office there were at least 551 hotels, cottages and villas. However, due to the pandemic, 16 of these non-star hotels, tourist lodges and villas have been permanently closed. Meanwhile, 141 businesses classified as star, non-star hotels, tourist lodges and villas were declared temporarily closed. Of the 141 businesses that are temporarily not operating there are 3 star hotels, 70 non-star hotels, 32 tourist lodges, and 36 villas.
More...
Nation: “Corporate Bribery Risks Increase During Pandemic” from The Jakarta Globe
Province: “Indonesia Needs 14 Gigawatts of New Renewable Energy Generation” from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Denpasar: “Bali Textile Exports Drop” from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: “Coral Reef Conservation: Tourism for Nature” from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Klungkung: “Abalone in Lembongan Eaten by Sea Eels” from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Bululeng: “Tourism Worker Dismissed Due to Covid-19 Sells Plants and Profits Millions” from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
NTT: “East Flores Regency Government Encourages Tourism Village Development” from Republika (Indonesian)
NTT: “BPOLBF to Develop Four Tourism Development Zones in Labuan Bajo” from Antara
Bali Reopening
“PHRI Proposes Bali be Partly Opened for International Flights” from Tribun Bali (Indonesian): The Indonesian Hotel & Restaurant Association (PHRI) Badung has proposed that foreigners who do business traveling and diplomatic traveling can directly fly to Bali. According to the Chairman of the Badung PHRI, I Gusti Agung Ngurah Rai Suryawijaya, Bali is ready to accept the arrival of business and diplomatic travelers. "Bali is currently very ready for that because most of the destinations are to Bali. So the quarantine in Bali, whether it's 5 days or 8 days, it's decided, that's our desire. And we are ready, from the quarantine hotel side, the two hotels are centralized isolation is also ready," he said on Tuesday.
“Sandiaga Uno Warns Against Relaxed Covid-19 Restriction Euphoria” from Tempo: The Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno warned people against the euphoria following the loosened PPKM. The recent level 3 restriction imposes less community mobility restrictions, which comes after regions in Indonesia recorded a dropping number of Covid-19 cases. “The drop in Covid-19 cases shows a good development and we should be thankful. In the future we must prepare for reduced PPKM restriction levels that are not followed by euphoria,” Sandiaga Uno wrote on Tuesday. The minister warned members of the public to remain alert against possible future covid-19 surge caused by the new variant and cited countries such as the United States and India that faced a wave of new transmission cases caused by the delta variant. His concerns are justified as latest data shows tourism sites seeing a surge in visitations across tourism sites after the public restriction was relaxed.
“Family’s Fear for Australian Man Missing in Waters Off Indonesia” from NCA NewsWire: Friends and family of an Australian man who has been missing in waters off Indonesia since the weekend have raised thousands of dollars in a bid to help with the desperate search for the “fearless” ocean lover. Shaun Daly vanished off the Mentawai Islands after going spearfishing on Saturday morning. His brother Martin, who is based in Western Australia, told NCA NewsWire the 26-year-old commercial diver had always been a water lover. “He’s pretty tough and he’s used to the water, so I don’t know how this has happened,” he said. Daly said his brother was last seen alive about 10am on Saturday when a man on a boat stopped to speak to him. “He asked what he was up to because you don’t usually see people spearfishing there,” Mr Daly said. “The main danger is probably the current ... he’s in the middle of nowhere.”
Of Interest
“Wild Cockatoos in Indonesia Seen Using Tools to Extract Seeds” from The Guardian
“Sanur Expat Allegedly a Cross-Country Marijuana Player” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
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 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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