September 3, 2021
Vax rates in Bali: We did the math + Bali tops Covid-19 Red Zone charts + Indonesia hits WHO vaccination target + more
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As the regency-by-regency Covid-19 disclosure has been discontinued by Bali’s provincial government, and the timing of their island-wide numbers comes too late each evening to make it practical, we’re putting the afternoon Covid-19 update on hold until we can find alternate sources for the data, or the government begins publishing it again. We will continue to publish a weekly Covid-19 update every Sunday evening which will give context and show trends of both the virus’ spread, and the government’s vaccination program.
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
*Note: The provincial government did not release its infographic by press time.
The Big News
“Vax Rates in Bali: We Did the Math” from Coconuts Bali: In Bali’s Tabanan regency officials say plenty of citizens have yet to receive their first COVID jab even when, officially, the vaccination coverage in the region has reached 104% of the population. According to regional authorities, that’s because certain residents weren’t eligible for the initial vaccine rollout. Official data shows that 340,000 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Tabanan, out of a total of 461,630 residents. The 104% claim is only true if you only count Tabanan’s vaccine-targeted population of 70%, which translates to about 322,000 people. Officials might be saying 104%, but what they mean is 74% of the total population in Tabanan. The number of people who have been fully vaxxed in Tabanan regency is around 201,000, which translates to over 43% of the total population. As we’ve seen time and time again, Bali officials need to be better about communicating data to the public.
“Bali Tops Covid-19 Red Zone Charts” from Coconuts Bali: Bali currently has the most “red zone” regions across the country, data from Indonesia’s COVID-19 Task Force has revealed, even as coronavirus cases in the province have been gradually declining. Six of Bali’s nine regions, namely Badung, Klungkung, Karangasem, Tabanan, Buleleng, and Denpasar city, are red zones this week, out of a total of 15 regions considered high-risk nationally. Self-isolation among COVID-19 patients in Bali has been cited as a reason for the recent surge in coronavirus transmissions, which led to officials directing them to centered isolation centers.
“Indonesia Hits WHO Vaccination Target” from Antara: Indonesia has achieved the COVID-19 vaccination target set by the World Health Organization, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said. Globally, the WHO has set a vaccination target of 10% of each country’s population by the end of September 2021, then 40% by the end of 2021, and 70% by the middle of 2022. "Currently, at least 140 countries have vaccinated 10% of their citizens, including Indonesia," the minister said on Thursday. Marsudi also highlighted the gap in the progress of vaccinations in each country and region. According to the Global Dashboard for Vaccine Equity, 57.34% of people in high-income countries have been vaccinated, while just 2.14% of the population in low-income countries have been.
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Other Headlines
“Nearly 1.2 Million Pfizer Vaccine Doses Arrive in Indonesia” from Antara: The Indonesian government received 1.2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in finished form from Pfizer on Thursday, Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono said. "Today, we have received nearly 1.2 million doses of the vaccine from Pfizer in finished form. The exact figure is 1,195,740 doses," Harbuwono said. Harbuwono later said Pfizer had earlier delivered 1.5 million doses of the finished vaccine on August 22. The arrival of an additional 1.2 million doses this time comes from the total order of 54.6 million Pfizer doses.
Vaccination Update
“Foreigners Can Use Paper Certificate as Proof of Vaccination” from Indonesia Expat: “For those who have not been vaccinated because of difficult access in their country, the Indonesian government will provide vaccination through the Gotong Royong mechanism once their PCR test results during quarantine are negative,” Health Ministry spokesperson Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi said. As for foreigners already in Indonesia, Nadia said having a KITAS/KITAP is important as a condition to get vaccinated. Nadia said foreigners who have received the physical vaccine card but not a QR code should carry their vaccine cards as proof of vaccine. “Foreigners who received their vaccine from overseas or from their respective embassies are not always integrated into the PeduliLindungi application. We are now accommodating this issue with related parties to make it easier.
More...
Nation: “Minister Asks Regional Heads to Not Stock Up on Covid Vaccines” from Antara
Nation: “Indonesia Aims for 2.3m Covid Vaccine Jabs a Day in September” from The Jakarta Globe
Nation: “Being Picky About Vaccine Brands Can Be Counterproductive” from Antara
Nation: “Indonesia Receives 500,000 Astrazeneca Doses From Australia” from Antara
Nation: ”Escaped Pet Croc Drops by at Vaccination Venue” from Coconuts Jakarta
Denpasar: “Denpasar Expands Vaccination Coverage to Build Herd Immunity” from Antara
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Health Services
“Over 2,000 Bali Residents in Independent Isolation” from Tribun Bali(Indonesian): As many as 2,419 residents in Bali are undergoing Independent Isolation (Isoman) due to exposure to Covid-19 without symptoms or OTG or mild symptoms, and police continue to evacuate them to Central Isolation (Isoter). "As of September 1, 2021, there are 2,419 residents in Bali who are undergoing Isoman, while 2,637 residents are undergoing Isoter, 236 residents are actively evacuating, and 329 residents have left Isoter," said Head of Public Relations of the Bali Police, Kombes Pol Syamsi on Thursday. Those who are still undergoing Isoman at home will be picked up by officers to undergo Centralized Isolation.
More...
Nation: “Task Force Lists Reasons for High Mortality” from Antara
Nation: “Local Govts Asked to Abide by Decision on Medical Workers' Incentives” from Antara
Province: “PPKM in Bali Hoped to Drop to Level 3 in a Week” from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Province: “Action Will be Taken Against Unlicensed Ceremonies” from Berita Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: “Parking Attendants Use Masks From Coconut Shells” from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Gianyar: “Regent Admits Covid Patients Still Being Charged for Burial” from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Economy & Infrastructure
“Cok Ace Says Many Hotel Entrepreneurs Are In Debt” from Tribun Bali (Indonesian): The implementation of PPKM in Bali has an impact on decreasing hotel occupancy across nine regencies and cities. The Deputy Governor of Bali, Cok Ace said many hotels were closed due to the pandemic. However, he admitted this happened because many hotel entrepreneurs were in debt due to the Covid-19 pandemic. When the Bali tourism discourse was opened in January 2021, Cok Ace said many entrepreneurs borrowed fresh funds. The loan was used by entrepreneurs to pay for workers who had been laid off. The postponement of tourism, according to him, has increased their debts.
More...
Nation: “Garuda Hangs by a Financial Thread” from Nikkei Asia
Province: “Boat Departures in Bali Drop 33.28%” from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
Province: “Private Jet Business on Rise During Covid-19” from Antara Bali (Indonesian)
Province: “Not Allowed to Open, Retail Entrepreneurs Visit Badung DPRD” from Bali Post (Indonesian)
“Covid-19 Handling Shows Positive Trend” from Antara: Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono highlighted the positive trends in developments to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic evidenced by a decline in the case count. "We see the trend of confirmed cases declining in the province by 25% as compared to the previous week. This is followed by an increasing trend in recoveries," Harbuwono said on Thursday. He also pointed to a similar trend in the nation’s positivity rates that had also declined by around 10.36% and also mortality. "We recorded a decrease in the mortality rate of 37% as compared to the previous week," he said.
“Antigen Test Mandatory for Marriage Ceremony” from Tempo: The Ministry of Religion Affairs has said the attachment of negative Covid-19 antigen test result is required for marriage ceremonies during PPKM. “One must attach the negative results of the antigen swab letter," said Acting Director of Religious Affairs Office M Adib Machrus on Thursday. Adib said that the people required to bring an antigen test result are the bride and groom, the marriage guardian, and two witnesses. "They are required to do an antigen swab which is valid 24 hours before the implementation of the marriage ceremony," he said.
Weekend Reads
“When Climate Adaptation Fails, Who Is Responsible? Indonesia Is Asking.” from The Christian Science Monitor
“Hunting for Nepal's Stolen Idols” from Nikkei Asia (Metered Paywall)
“Mapping Dante’s Inferno, One Circle of Hell at a Time” from Atlas Obscura
Of Interest
“Four Soldiers Killed in Papua Attack” from The Jakarta Globe
“NTT Residents Asked to Beware of Extreme Weather” from Republika (Indonesian)
“Local Residents Clean River, Create Kali Bersih Empelan Terbin Community” from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
“American Found Dead in Tegallalang Villa” from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
“Flying Taxi Arrives in Indonesia” from Tempo
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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