September 27, 2021
Sandiaga: Bali is ready + National Covid death toll drops below 100 + Health workers get Bali staycations + more
Good morning!
Welcome to The Bali Beat for Monday, September 27. If you’re not a subscriber, please sign up here to have this newsletter emailed to your inbox every weekday morning, along with a Sunday evening summary of the past week’s Covid-19 and vaccination data. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you!
Please be sure to share The Bali Beat with your friends, family and anyone else in the community by clicking the button below. If you’re on Twitter, you can follow us there @thebalibeat.
*A paid subscription is NOT required to access this newsletter.* If you would like to support our news gathering efforts, please consider making a donation of US$5/month by becoming a contributing subscriber via the link above. If you’d prefer to make a one-time donation — of any amount — please click here.
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
The Big News
“Sandiaga: Bali Is Ready!” from Republika (Indonesian): The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said that currently the condition of Bali was ready to conduct a trial opening of the tourism sector for foreign tourists. "So Bali is ready. We will discuss it, we will evaluate it next week and hopefully if all conditions are conducive, if nothing goes wrong we will try it next month," he said on Saturday. From the results of his two-day visit to Bali on September 24-25, he assessed that the readiness of the tourism sector was getting better. Community compliance with the implementation of health protocols to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic has increased, and the Covid-19 condition in Bali is under control. "This makes us more optimistic, next week at the coordination meeting we can provide input so that we can test the reopening of Bali in October," he said.
Context: Other media reports quoted Sandiaga as saying Sanur, Ubud and Nusa Dua would be the first areas opened (Indonesian), something that was supported by Cok Ace (see story in Bali Reopening section below). These plans are subject to approval on September 30, with mid-October being suggested as a tentative reopening time.
“Daily Covid Death Toll Drops Below 100 for First Time Since May 13” from The Jakarta Globe: Indonesia recorded the lowest daily Covid-19 death toll in half a year and the smallest daily tally of new cases in more than a year on Sunday. There have been 86 coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24 hours, the lowest daily fatality toll since March 27, bringing the total death toll to 141,467, government figures show. The last time the country recorded fewer than 100 Covid-19 deaths was on May 13, when 99 deaths were recorded in a single day. By contrast, the country has averaged more than 1,000 deaths in a span of 36 days since July 16 during the height of the Delta variant outbreak.
“Health Workers Get Bali Staycations” from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian): The tourism industry in Bali is expected to take advantage of the staycation program for health workers as a form of appreciation in reducing cases of the Covid-19 pandemic. Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said the health worker tour package was a form of the national economic recovery program. The staycation for health workers is a form of appreciation for those who have helped reduce Covid-19 cases, and this appreciation is given to all health workers in Indonesia. "We aim for health workers including in Bali they can staycation for rest and this is for stimulation in terms of accommodation for eating and drinking and transportation," he said on Friday
>> Classifieds <<
In a time of social distancing, it’s harder than ever to get your message out and reinforce community. If you’ve got a story to tell or a message that needs to be heard — and if you’re reading this newsletter — then try a classified ad with The Bali Beat. Click here for more details.
School is a luxury for many in the Togean Islands. Togean Natural is working with women from Tumbulawa and Siatu villages to produce hand-made, preservative-free soap and coconut oil. Help empower local women by placing your order today.
Introducing Masterworks, a platform for investing in proven artists like Basquiat, Warhol and Banksy. Contemporary art prices outperformed the S&P 500 by 174% from 1995-2020, so it’s no surprise 84% of ultra-high-net worth individuals collect art. If you’re looking for a solid and nearly uncorrelated asset to add to your portfolio, check out Masterworks. We've partnered with Masterworks to let Petition subscribers skip their 25,000-person waitlist, so do yourself a favor and sign up today. (See important information.)
Other Headlines
“Govt Plans First 'Travel Bubble' With Singapore on Bintan Island” from Antara: The Indonesian government has selected the tourist area of Lagoi in Bintan district for a pilot implementation of a travel corridor with Singapore, an official said. "The government targets Bintan to be the first (travel bubble destination). Lagoi is ready to open while applying health protocols," head of Tourism Office-Riau Islands, Buralimar, said on Saturday. According to Buralimar, in addition to the management's readiness, Lagoi, which is located in an enclave area, supports the implementation of the "travel bubble", which is part of an agreement between Indonesia and Singapore. "We hope tourists will come gradually. (For example), first, we will limit the tourists to 100 people, so as not to cause booming," he said.
Context: Over the weekend Singapore recorded its highest ever daily new Covid cases, with Saturday’s figure being 1,443 cases and three dead. It isn’t clear how far discussions with the Singaporean authorities have progressed regarding the announcement of the above Bintan Bubble.
Vaccination Update
“Indonesia Aims to Vaccinate 70% of Citizens by Year End” from The Jakarta Globe: The government is ramping up mass vaccination against Covid-19, targeting at least 70% of the population partially vaccinated before the end of the year, a Health Ministry spokeswoman said on Friday. In order to achieve the target, medical units from the military and the police were involved to delivered jabs to citizens across all 34 provinces. “We are working to achieve that target,” Siti Nadia Tarmizi said. The vaccination team includes 119,591 vaccinators from the ministry, 29,999 from the National Population and Family Planning Board, 11,174 from the police, 5,645 from the military and 5,690 from private hospitals. At least 84 million Indonesians have been partially vaccinated against Covid-19 as of Friday, representing 40.39% of the target population. The total number of fully vaccinated citizens stands at 47.3 million or 22.73%.
Context: Indonesia is currently administering between 500,000 and 1,500,000 first doses daily (the wide variance is due to weekends). You can follow Bali’s vaccination progress on The Bali Beat Sunday night email.
More...
Nation: “Over 80% of Indonesia’s Vaccine Supply From China” from Benar News
Nation: “Indonesia Receives Two Million Sinovac Doses” from Antara
Nation: “Kupang Covid-19 Vaccination Reaches 75.03%” from Republika (Indonesian)
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Health Services
“Kuta Beach Equipped with Protective Care, the Stubborn will be Evicted” from Bali Express (Indonesian): To anticipate crowds at Kuta Beach, the manager has installed PeduliLindungi barcode readers. Bendesa Adat Kuta Wayan Wasista said the installation of the PeduliLindungi barcode reader was one of the steps to prevent crowds. "We hope that the public and visitors to Kuta Beach can use the PeduliLindungi application before entering the beach," Wasista said on Sunday. According to him, out of 28 entrances, eight points have been fitted with PeduliLindungi barcode readers. The other entrances will be permanently closed. Wasista said the capacity of Kuta Beach is a maximum of 8,000 people. "Our officers will continue to supervise by urging that there are no crowds, for those who do not wear masks we will ask to keep wearing masks and if they don't bring them we will give them as long as supplies in the traditional village are still available, if there are stubborn ones we will expel," he said.
More...
Nation: “Minister Calls for Better Covid Reporting in Central Sulawesi” from Antara
Nation: “Daily Case Count Can Significantly Increase During Year-end Holidays” from Antara
Province: “Trade Minister Will Fix SOPs, So Children Can Enter Mall” from Bali Prawara (Indonesian)
Badung: “If Kuta and Sanur Are Effective, Odd-Even Goes to Green Zone” from Tribun Bali (Indonesian)
Badung: “Public Servants Tested for Covid Monthly” from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
“Three Tourist Destinations Receive Assistance From Ministry of SOEs” from Antara Bali (Indonesian): Three tourist destination managers in Bali Province received assistance from the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises worth IDR 450 million, namely the Padangtegal Monkey Forest, Bukit Sari Sangeh Tourist Attraction, and Alas Kedaton tourist area. Public Relations of the Ministry of SOEs in a written statement received in Jakarta, Saturday, reported that the Puri Kauhan Ubud Foundation had handed over the assistance. Each tourist area manager received assistance of IDR 150 million. The recipients expressed their appreciation and gratitude for the assistance provided by the Ministry of SOEs and the Puri Kauhan Ubud Foundation, and will use the assistance for feeding monkeys in their respective locations.
More...
Province: “Bangli Establishes Cooperation with Tabanan and West Lombok” from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
Province: “Request for Passports Increases, 215 PMI Already Depart” from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Badung: “Badung Urges Entrepreneurs to Continue to Develop Online Marketing” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Bangli: “Laid Off Tourism Workers Create New Attraction” from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Education
“Government Clarifies Reports of 2.8% Schools Being Covid Clusters” from The Jakarta Globe: The government clarified the reports of 1,296 schools nationwide turning into Covid-19 clusters from in-person learning, by saying that there had been several misperceptions of the data. Earlier, the Education Ministry announced in a press release that about 1,296 schools became Covid-19 clusters since the pandemic began. This figure is relatively low and only accounts for 2.8% of the 46,580 schools that have reopened their doors in a limited capacity. Jumeri, the Education Ministry’s director general for early childhood, primary and secondary education, later confirmed on Friday that the 2.8% figure did not refer to Covid-19 clusters. Instead, it was the number of schools who reported via the Education Ministry’s app that someone from within its community — be it a student, teacher, or staff — had caught Covid-19.
More...
Tabanan: “Unvaccinated Teachers Banned From Teaching From October 1” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Bali Reopening
“Bali Government Prepares Three Reopening Plans” from Bali Prawara (Indonesian): According to the Deputy Governor of Bali, Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati (Cok Ace) regarding the reopening of Bali, it is not only black and white, but requires several plans. "Because this is volatile. He said Bali will be opened selectively. If something happens in several places, it doesn't mean that it will be closed later, but its scope will be minimized, so that even the smallest possibility will be considered. Regarding the plan, Cok Ace said the first is to open all tourist areas on Bali. The second plan is to open a tourist attraction specifically for the Covid-19 green zone in Bali. The third plan is if in the green area it is not possible to receive tourists due to Covid-19, then the tourist attractions are allowed to open only in certain villages. According to Cok Ace the tourists who have given the green light to go on vacation when international tourism opens are Germany, Argentina, England, and Russia.
Context: In this related story, Cok Ace notes that the source countries were selected based on their length of stay, which is on average two weeks. He also notes everything is dependent on unspecified regulations.
More...
Nation: “Deputy Governor Urges Indonesian Ambassadors to Promote Bali” from Antara
>> This Week’s Sponsor <<
Plant-based, chemical free & made of natural ingredients, look after yourself from head to toe with DeHealth products. Our Mother vinegar is loaded with probiotics & can strengthen your immune system. Step towards better health today.
Of Interest
“Javan Rhinos Under Threat From Natural Disasters, Inbreeding” from The Jakarta Post (Metered Paywall)
“Spearfisher’s Body Found Floating Off Seseh Beach” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
“Nigerian Man Hunted for a Month, Arrested” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
“21 Foreigners Wait to be Deported” 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.
Our standards
We only include news items from established media sources.
We do not include op-eds, forecasts, or rumors.
We do not express any opinions about any included news item.
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.
Any headline marked with “Indonesian” point to an article in the Indonesian language. We use Google Translate to translate headlines and excerpts into English, then correct any translation errors where the intended meaning is lost or unclear. These changes are kept to a minimum to accurately reflect the source material.
For any questions, comments or tips, please contact us at TheBaliBeat@outlanders.global.