Thursday, November 19
BPOM says vaccine approval coming in Jan; Widodo says he'll be among first to take it + Over 1,100 election workers in Denpasar are reactive in mass rapid test + ATM skimming on rise in Kuta + more!
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Weather & Waves
Today’s Weather for Southern Bali
Today’s Tides
Surf Outlook
Weather forecast from Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology & Geophysics Council (Link)
Tide table from Tide-forecast.com.
Surf outlook via Windy.com.
Local Covid Numbers
*NOTE: Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers.
The Big News
VACCINE UPDATE: There was a slew of news yesterday in Indonesia about vaccines, most likely driven by Pfizer’s announcement that the final analysis of its Phase 3 trial data shows an effective rate of 95%- including for those who are over 65. First, President Widodo’s previously-announced timetable to start vaccinating people in late December seems to have hit a snag, as Indonesia’s Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) has said that it does not expect to be able to complete its emergency authorization process for the country’s chosen primary vaccine, CoronaVac, until late January because complete data from Sinvoac’s Phase 3 trials will not be available in time. In spite of this, yesterday, Widodo reiterated his claim that the vaccine would arrive “at the end of November. We will try. If it cannot be done, then they will come in December." Though he did hedge and say that “scientific principles must be followed” in approving any vaccine and that the emergency approval process “will take about three weeks." He also, notably, did not specify which vaccine would be rolled out first, saying only that any vaccine purchased by the government must come from the list of companies that are registered with the World Health Organization.
While Indonesia is a partner with Siovac in the development of its vaccine, the country has also signed deals with other companies, such as AstraZencia, to maximize the odds of securing a working vaccine ASAP and ensuring that it is not dependent on a single supplier. The head of the Foreign Ministry’s Covid-19 Task Force, Daniel Tumpal, affirmed as much yesterday when he said, “We have held talks with the United States, Britain, China, and so on. I don't see any problem. We are so comfortable to move everywhere.” Looking even farther into the future, Indonesia’s project to develop and produce its own vaccine, called the “Red and White Vaccine,” is on track to launch clinical trials in early 2021 and see the first doses come out of domestic production facilities by the end of next year.
Meanwhile, state media has been flooded with news about the vaccination preparation process. President Widodo visited a clinic in West Java where local health officials are running drills to prepare for mass distribution of the vaccine. 10,000 military personnel have been designated to be among he first recipients of the vaccine once it is rolled out. They include medical workers and front lone soldiers who are managing security and the enforcement of health protocols. Political leaders have begun the work of raising the public’s confidence in the vaccine, with Widodo saying that he is willing to be among the first to take it, and South Sulawesi Governor HM Nurdin Abdullah saying that he is confident in the government’s assurances of its safety and that he would “set a good example” by taking it.
MASS TESTING UPDATE: Over the last week, Regency governments have been ramping up their campaigns to spread testing to as many people as possible. Yesterday, the head of Kapenrem 163, Wira Satya Major Arm Ida Bagus Putu Diana Sukertia, confirmed that 241 members of local militias in Klungkung, Jembrana, and Bangli who work to enforce health protocols and provide security at testing facilities had been swab tested so far, with results due in 2-3 days. Meanwhile, in Denpasar, 10,458 election officials and poll workers had completed rapid testing, with over 1,100 returning reactive results. They have been ordered to self-isolate at home for 14 days, with anyone who develops symptoms required to take a swab test. In Jembrana, their rapid testing project has resulted in 171 election workers out of 5,072 returning reactive results. All of them were given swab tests, with just 3 testing positive.
"Ahead of the End of the Year, Skimming Cases in Bali Are Increasingly Rampant" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): Towards the end of the year, cases of skimming or theft of customer data began to appear in Bali. In fact, many customers report to the Bali Police Directorate of Criminal Investigation. The area prone to rampant skimming cases is located in the South Kuta area. Several unnamed victims admitted to having suffered losses when making transactions at automated teller machines (ATMs)... According to AKBP I Gusti Ayu Putu Suinaci, Head of Sub-Directorate V Cyber ??Crime of the Directorate of Criminal and Criminal Investigation of the Bali Police, due to the lack of information on witnesses at the scene of the incident, it was difficult for them to sniff out the traces of the perpetrators. In addition, his party does not know in detail the mode of the perpetrators, so that public complaints have not been maximally investigated.
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Other Headlines
"Head of South Kuta Sub-District to Intensify Early Day Prokes Operations" from Bali Express (Indonesian): The Head of South Kuta District is leading the implementation of monitoring the implementation of the Covid-19 prevention health protocol (Prokes) in a number of traditional markets in Jimbaran, South Kuta District, Badung. Monitoring is carried out since 05.00 WIB in the morning. The team, which consisted of dozens of joint military, police and Satpol PP officers, conducted monitoring of market visitors, as well as traders. "For the past two months, we have been intensively monitoring in a number of places," said Head of South Kuta Sub-district Ketut Gede Arta.
"Three factions in the DPRD Bali Firmly Reject the Bill on the Prohibition of Alcoholic Drinks" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): three factions in the Regional Representative Council (DPRD) of Bali Province expressed their rejection of the Draft Law (RUU) on the Prohibition of Alcoholic Drinks. The three factions are the Golkar Party Faction, the Gerindra Party Faction, and the Democratic Party Faction. the other two factions, namely the PDIP Faction and the NasDem -PSI-Hanura Faction have not conveyed their position on this occasion. "Alcoholic drinks are related to the processing industry as a source of livelihood for the community and are associated with the implementation of traditional ceremonies," explained Deputy Chairman of the Golkar faction at the DPRD Bali, I Nyoman Wirya.
(Ed. Note: After the legislative session, Deputy Governor Cok Ace said that he was against the anti-alcohol bill because drinking is an essential part of the tourism industry, and because it did not recognize the importance of spirits like tuak in traditional Hindi ceremonies. He also said that there would be “resistance” to the law by Balinese people if it was enacted.)
"International Flights to Bali Open December 1st? Cok Ace: No Talks There Yet" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): The Provincial Government (Pemprov) of Bali had been rumored to be opening international flights to and from the Island of the Gods through I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on December 1, 2020. But in fact, the plan to open these international flights has yet to be confirmed... Deputy Governor of Bali, Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati (Cok Ace) said that until now there has been no discussion regarding this matter. "Not yet, not yet, there is no discussion there yet," said Cok Ace. He emphasized that international flights cannot be opened if there is still the Minister of Law and Human Rights Regulation (Permenkumham) Number 11 of 2020 concerning the Temporary Prohibition of Foreign Citizens from Entering Indonesian Territory.
"Two Whales Died in A row in the Bali Sea, What's Wrong?" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): After a sperm whale measuring 10 meters and weighing about 2 tons was found floating dead on Serangan Beach, South Denpasar, now the discovery of the same type of whale in a dead condition has also occurred. This time the size is estimated to be 13 meters. The whale carcass was found on Mengiat Beach, Nusa Dua, Badung on Wednesday. Head of the Coastal and Marine Resources Management Agency (BPSPL), Permana Yudiarso estimated that the whale has been dead for more than 10 days... "We don't know the cause yet, it's a bit strange because two individuals usually die one by one. Now we are looking for the cause, possibly other factors, not natural factors where he died, disease or an accident, it is probably still conjecture, because there was an ecosystem or ships conducting research for seismic testing," he said.
(Ed. Note: State media has released video footage of the recovery process, which you can view here.)
"Heavy Equipment Ready to Tidy Up Kuta Beach Sand" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): The absence of foreign tourists does not mean that coastal areas are not maintained. Badung Regency Government also chose to move to maintain the sand of Kuta Beach. This step is taken so that the abrasion in the favorite tourist destination in Bali does not get worse. Maintenance of beach sand in Kuta will start on Thursday (19/11). "The sooner the better. The target is to complete the maintenance of beach sand by the middle of next month or on December 20, 2020," said the Head of the PUPR Office of Badung Regency Ida Bagus Surya Suamba.
(Ed. Note: This action comes after several days of rough seas and high winds knocked down several shade trees and spread debris across the beach.)
"Child Loses Life in Bali After Eating Puffer Fish Crackers" from The Bali Sun: An 11-year-old girl named Putu Ayu Mita Sari has died allegedly from food poisoning after eating a crackers made out of puffer fish in Buleleng, North Bali. Putu Ayu and her family were visiting her cousin Alisya's house in Pemuteran North Bali on Tuesday when the two children allegedly ate the puffer fish crackers. After they became sick, their parents immediately rushed them to Gerokgak Clinics, but the clinic referred them to Buleleng Public Hospital for more intensive treatment. Unfortunately, after several hours being treated at the hospital Putu Ayu passed away. Meanwhile Alisya is still conscious, but is intensive care.
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 at BaliSolidarity.org. If you know of an effort and would like to have them listed, please send their information to newsletter@migrationmedia.net.
About This Newsletter
This newsletter is a product of Migration Media, the hub for stories from and about the international migrant experience.
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