Thursday, March 26
Good evening! Here are the latest headlines out of Bali in regards to the Covid-19 outbreak. Please note that with any story marked "Indonesian" I have used Google Translate to read it in English and the details will include a summation from me with some text as it was presented.
The Big Stuff
"Countermeasures for COVID-19 In Bali" from Bali Plus: The Head of the COVID-19 Task Force Mr. Dewa Made Indra outlined a policy covering the distribution of 350 liters (70 gallons) of disinfectants and 200 boxes of masks (10,000 pcs) to districts/ cities in Bali under the coordination of the regency/ cities (BPBD)... Regarding the implementation of Rapid Tests, Sekda Dewa Indra said that the rapid test equipment is expected to arrive in Bali on Saturday March 28, 2020. Rapid tests will be prioritized for quarantined migrant workers, people that are being monitored as well as medical personnel and paramedics.
"Police Are Quite Clear, Stay At Home Today" from The Seminyak Times: For this year's Ngembak Geni celebration, Bali Governor Wayan Koster has appealed to residents to remain at home... Following up on the appeal, Badung Regional Police are checking a number of markets and have appealed to the community to remain at home. "We appeal to the public if possible today do not activate their businesses once again (after the Nyepi day of silence). Let’s be at our homes to help halt the spread of the Corona virus."
"To Prevent the Spread of Covid-19, PLN to Calculate Average Electricity Usage for the Last 3 Months" from Balipuspa.com (Indonesian): For customers who pay for their electricity on an "as used" basis (i.e. those who do not prepay for power on their meters), the utility provider, PLN, will not be sending technicians to read meters for billing calculation purposes. Instead, the company will use the average electricity used across December, January & February to calculate March's bill. Anyone staying in a home that requires the payment/purchase of power should check with their landlord to see what kind of arrangement they have with the power company so that you can react accordingly.
"2 People Under COVID-19 Monitoring Allegedly Escaped Quarantine Facility In Bali" from Coconuts: Two people under monitoring for COVID-19 in Bali reportedly "ran away" from a quarantine facility earlier this week. The incident, which quickly made its way to the news cycle, has sparked a huge reaction and backlash on social media amid heightened concerns about the spread of the viral disease on the island... I Made Rentin, who heads Bali Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), told Detik yesterday that they have since returned to the facility.
Other Headlines
"Britons Stranded In Bali Call for UK Evacuation Flights As Coronavirus Cuts Routes" from The Guardian: British nationals stuck on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali are calling on the government to bring them home, saying they face the prospect of being trapped for months due to the Covid-19 outbreak... Several said they had been told by airline Emirates that they might have to remain in Bali for three months.
"Letter to the Governor of Bali Proposes That Nyepi Observance Be Extended by 14 Days" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): A prominent physician, Dr. Rudy Susanta wrote a letter to the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, tp propose that the celebration of Nyepi Day be extended by another 14 days... "Don't let our response be late in preventing transmission. In terms of donating, we are united, but In breaking the chain of transmission of Covid-19, let's keep our distance and stay at home. Most people will agree. This is NOT LOCKDOWN, but it's been 14 days."
"Hotel Occupancy Rate In Badung Drops to 20%" from Berit Bali (Indonesian): The covid-19 outbreak has caused a downturn of tourism in Bali, resulting in occupancy rates that typically reached 60-70% in March are now dropping to 20%. The most affected area is Badung because of the 146,000 hotels in Bali as many as 70% are located there... This is indicated from the level of visits when compared to the March 2019 - Visits to Bali last year reached 16,000 but now only total 4,200 tourists so far.
"Bali Fears for Future, As Indonesia's Coronavirus Cases Jump" from Al Jazeera: On the Indonesian resort island of Bali, where more than three-quarters of the economy is linked to tourism, the de-facto border closure could prove catastrophic for the population of 4.2 million people... "From our research, we know about 80 percent of Bali's GDP is based on tourism," said Ross Taylor, president of the Indonesia Institute, a foreign policy think-tank at Melbourne's Monash University. "There's been this huge transition where almost everyone has placed all their eggs in the tourism basket," Taylor added. "The result of taking that away would be catastrophic."