Sunday, April 26
Security beefed up at island's entry points + Local recovery rate soars + Migrant workers still trapped on cruise ship + more!
Good morning! Welcome to the COVID-19 Update for Bali for Sunday, April 26. If you find this information useful, please subscribe and share it with others in the foreigner community on the island.
Status Update
Country-wide Numbers:
Source:
Indonesia National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB Indonesia): @BNPB_Indonesia
Official updates are available from the Indonesian Government here.
Bali Numbers:
Confirmed Cases Distribution:
Key: Red = Infected | Green = Recovered | Black = Died
Bali Trends:
Sources:
Infographic comes from Bali Provincial Government COVID-19 Task Force (link).
The geographic breakdown comes from the Bali Provincial Government's data collection department (link).
Charts have been compiled using their data.
More detailed information on the locations of positive cases within each Regency, as well as the number of suspected cases ("ODP") and people under observation ("PDP"), can be found in infographics on the official websites of each Regency's COVID-19 Task Force:
Badung | Bangli* | Buleleng | Denpasar City | Gianyar* | Jembrana* | Karangasem | Klungkung* | Tabanan
*Does not yet have a dedicated Covid-19 info page. Data can be found by reading official government news alerts.
The Big News
"To Enforce New Travel Restrictions, Entrances and Exits of Bali Guarded Strictly" from The Bali Post (Indonesian): Following the declaration of travel restrictions across the country, police & security presence has been increased at all of Bali's entrance points, including Ngurah Rai Airport, Gilimanuk Port, Padang Bai Harbor, and Benoa Harbor... Chair of the Bali Province COVID-19 Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling, Dewa Made Indra, explained that it was not only the Bali Provincial Government which tightened the policy of travel restrictions. But other regional governments are also doing the same thing, and that exemptions in the policy do permit some travel. "Namely for logistics transportation, for health, for diplomatic missions, for the tasks of high state institutions can still use land, sea and air transportation," he said.
"Secretary Asks Balinese People Overseas to Not Return Home" from Antara (Indonesian): Regional Secretary of the Province of Bali Dewa Made Indra asked residents from Bali who are in that have implement Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) or other areas affected by COVID-19 not to return to the island first... "With all respect, we ask any residents outside of Bali, especially in regions that have implemented PSBB and also from affected areas, to remain in place, do not go home to Bali until the COVID-19 situation has subsided," he said.
"Bali Success Recognized" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): Noting its growing cure rate among people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19, the central government has recognized Bali's apparent ability be more successful in withstanding the development of the virus. As of Saturday, the number of positive cases that have recovered in Bali has increased by 13 people, bringing the total number of patients recovered to 70. The percentage of Covid-19 patients recovering in Bali was 38.25% (positive 183, cured 70). This figure is far above the national average of 12.11% (positive 8,607, recovering 1,042) and the percentage of recovery in DKI Jakarta Province which is only 9.07% (positive 3,684, recovering 334).
Other Headlines
"188 ABK from Bali On the Carnival Splendor Feel Like 'Ping-Pong Balls'" from Berita Bali (Indonesian): On its second day of being adrift in the waters of Karangasem, Bali, the cruise ship Carnival Splendor, loaded with 327 Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI), 188 of whom are Balinese, has not yet allowed into the Port of Benoa, Bali. According to members of the crew, the situation has become even worse, with the workers feeling like "ping pong balls" as they've been dircted back and forth between Jakarta and Bali... After the Panama-flagged ship was requested by the Central National Cluster to dock in the Port of Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, the crew refused to enter the city, which is currently a Red Zone. "We actually refused to be demoted at Tanjung Priok in Jakarta because there was already a red zone in Co-19. But we could not do anything because it was an order from the Central Cluster. Our position is now in the waters of East Java towards Jakarta," explained I Nengah Satwika, one of the ship's crew.
"Passengers, Travel Agents Upset Over Airline Refund Policy" from The Jakarta Post (via The Bali Sun): Air passengers and travel agents are not happy about airlines’ refund policies as the COVID-19 pandemic hits air travel demand. A recently issued government policy that bans all passenger travel further exacerbates the situation. National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, AirAsia Indonesia and low-cost carrier Lion Air have all offered vouchers or credit rather than cash for canceled flights... The Transportation Ministry’s civil aviation director general, Novie Riyanto, said on Thursday that airlines were allowed to provide refunds in the form of a voucher. "Airlines have no obligation to make the refund in cash, it can be a voucher as long as its value is the same as the price of the issued ticket," said Novie. (Original story here - paywall)
"Ramadan Market Fades" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the pop-up next to the Baitul Rahman mosque in Denpasar to not be held this year. The Ramadan Market, which sells special food, cakes, and drinks, usually attracts hundreds of people who shop among its stalls along Wanasari Hamlet alley in Dauh Puri Kaja Village, North Denpasar. But while there are still some local merchants selling food, this year there were only a few tends or doezens of people shopping unlike the hundreds or thousands who come to the market most years at this time.
"In the Market, Many Residents Do Not Use Masks" from The Bali Post (Indonesian): In spite of the Covid-19 pandemic and government calls for compliance, there are still many people who go to the market not wearing masks. "We see that there are still many people who go to the market without wearing masks. Or already use a mask, but the mask is not according to standards. We need to educate people that the market is a place where people gather [so its a place where the virus be spread more easily]," said Chairman of the DPC Association of Indonesian Training Institutions (HILLSI) Denpasar, I Nyoman Sukadana... HILLSI Denpasar, together with representatives of all training institutes in Denpasar in the Mask for Market Movement, have distributed 1,000 masks to market visitors and market traders. "It is our shared responsibility in preventing teh spread of the coronavirus," he said.
"Bali Sees Almost 100% Drop In Foreign Tourists" from The Jakarta Post: Bali Deputy Governor Tjokorda Oka Sukawati said Bali was one the region’s hardest hit by the pandemic in Indonesia, as around 60% of its gross regional product comes from tourism. The agricultural sector in Bali has also been impacted, Tjokorda said, as farmers' harvests usually supplied the island's many hotels, which have up to 140,000 rooms. "This is no longer the case and farmers now have an oversupply."... According to Indonesian Tourist Industry Association data, Bali had recorded an 11% increase in foreign tourist arrivals in January. However, the number dropped 18% in February after flights from China were cancelled. The number then dropped 42.32% in March, as countries in Europe as well the United Kingdom and South Korea restricted flights to Bali. In April, the decrease has been even more drastic, with foreign tourist arrivals down 93.24%.
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 granted automatic extensions to most foreigners who are still in the country on temporary stay visas. You can see a (translated) list of all of the relevant regulations on the Directorate General of Immigration & Ministry of Law and Human Rights' website here.
If you are trying to plan travel anywhere, here are two 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 alerts feed into airlines' reservation systems, so it is the most reliable database of flight restrictions around.
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.
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