Thursday, October 15
Imigrasi publishes updated rules for foreigners entering Indonesia + Jakarta to fine anyone refusing swab tests Rp. 5 million + Hundreds still missing after labor law protests + 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)
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Surf outlook via Windy.com.
Local Covid Numbers
*NOTE: Click here to see the national numbers infographic, trend charts, and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers in our evening update.
The Big News
"Conditions for Foreigners Entering Indonesia As Of October 2020" from Indonesia Expat: The Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights has decided to change the criteria for foreigners who are exempted from the previous ban of foreign nationals entering the country. Article two of Minister of Law and Human Rights Regulation No. 26/2020 states that foreigners who hold a valid visa and/or stay permit can enter Indonesian territory through certain immigration checkpoints after fulfilling health protocols. “Submissions are made electronically by attaching a health certificate containing free from COVID-19 in English issued by an institution authorised by the government in each country,” states the regulation... "Visas and/or Stay Permits" includes Service Visas, Diplomatic Visas, Visit Visas, Limited Stay Visas, Official Stay Permits, Diplomatic Stay Permits, Limited Stay Permits, and Permanent Residency Permits.
(Ed. Note: The new rules and definitions are quite extensive - 13 pages - so be sure to click through to the article above for the complete summary. You can find the full Permenkumham published on Imigrasi’s website - in Indonesian - here.)
"Jakarta to Fine IDR5 million Anyone Who Refuses Mandatory Swab Test" from Coconuts: PCR swab tests are mandatory in Indonesia if determined as such by COVID-19 case tracers, but some have refused to be diagnosed due to the negative stigma surrounding the disease and/or refusal to be isolated. “Anyone who avoids or refuses to be subject to mandatory PCR testing will be fined IDR5 million (US$339),” city councilor Judistira Hermawan said today about one policy contained in the draft. The fine, Judistira said, should be enough of a deterrent for Jakartans as testing is essential in the capital’s fight against COVID-19.
LABOR LAW UPDATE: After several versions had been leaked to the public over the course of the last week, the "final draft" of the labor law has been submitted to President Widodo for implementation. Rights groups say that “hundreds” of people are still unaccounted for after last week’s protests and complain are slow to provide updates on individuals’ whereabouts. Meanwhile, the Save Indonesia Coalition (KAMI) are decrying the arrest of eight of its members in several cities across the country for spreading “hate speech” under the Electronic Information and Transactions Law, calling the move “repressive;” and representatives from 10 mass organizations based in Jakarta visited the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Headquarters on Wednesday to declare their “peace-loving movement against anarchism.”
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Other Headlines
"Buleleng Implements Two Self-Quarantine Patterns" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): Self-quarantine at home is still allowed, but following a circular because seeing the situation that many were infected due to isolation at home, OTG-GR [asymptomatic] patients were transferred to hotel quarantine. "We follow, but also situational. An example of a patient with a caesarean swab was positive for Covid-10. If you see Covid, they have to go to a quarantine hotel. But considering the position after caesarean section, it is impossible to invite them to the hotel so it is situational,” said Buleleng Regional Secretary Gede Suyasa. The number of similar patients who are still recorded as undergoing independent isolation in Buleleng is 7 people, including OTG-GR patients who have comorbidities. However, they were directed to undergo quarantine at the hospital in Buleleng. Meanwhile, 9 other OTG-GR patients undergo isolation in government facilities.
"Bangli Eliminates Self-quarantine” from The Bali Post (Indonesian): To avoid the addition of new cases in family clusters, all Covid-19 patients without symptoms (OTG) and with mild symptoms are now to be quarantined at a hotel. The place of isolation is determined by the Province. For Bangli Regency, it gets an isolation place at the Melasti hotel in Kuta. There are 100 rooms for patients and the team from Bangli. Spokesperson for Bangli's Covid-19 Task Force said that the isolation of patients at the Melast Hotel had been carried out since October 8.
"Bali Tourism Loses IDR 9.7 Trillion Per Month, Center Prepares IDR 1.2 Trillion In Grants" from Bali Prawara (Indonesian): From March to July 2020, the Bali Tourism Office recorded economic losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic reaching IDR 48.5 trillion, or around IDR 9.7 trillion per month. To help the tourism industry survive the pandemic, the Central Government through the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy together with the Ministry of Finance has prepared and immediately distributed tourism grants of IDR 3.3 trillion for tourism businesses and local governments. This grant will help improve the implementation of health protocols in tourist destinations so as to create a sense of security and comfort for tourists. The program is intended to assist industrial operations such as paying employee salaries and others in accordance with the designation of the program.
"Minister of Tourism Comments On the Opening Time of Indonesian Tourism for International Tourists" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): "The image of our tourism is not in a good condition. This means that this is the perception that exists outside, especially what I see in Australia, especially if other countries do not think that our image is too bad. This means that other countries consider us okay. Australia's media coverage is quite negative, "said the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Wishnutama Kusubandio. "What is certain is that these efforts have also been carried out by all of us. Where we have spoken with other countries to tell us when to open it. What is certain is how we improve that perception by implementing better health protocols."
"The People of Tabanan Are Experiencing Difficulties Getting Clean Water Due to Floods and Landslides" from Antara (Indonesian): Public Relations of PDAM Tabanan, Budi Gunawan, said that his organization is still trying to repair damaged pipelines at several points spread across eight sub-districts in Tabanan Regency. "The work is already 90%, hopefully in the near future it can be completed quickly so that residents can do their usual activities." He added that the pipeline repair work is expected to be completed in the next 2-3 days. His party hopes that customers who experience water distribution disruptions can understand. "We ask the community to collect water in the next few days so that they don't have trouble getting clean water."
"Police Arrest Owner of 9 Cannabis Trees in Ubud Bali" from Mardeka (Indonesian): Bali Police arrested two men, Johannes Pradipta (32) and Giovanni Biondi (30), who had 4.5 kilograms of dried marijuana. Director of Resnarkoba Polda Bali, Kombes Pol Muhammad Khozin said, initially the police arrested the perpetrator Giovanni Biondi on Tuesday (13/10) at around 19.00 WITA, at Jalan Tegal Cupek, Jays Villas room number 17, Kerobokan Village, North Kuta, Badung, Bali. The authorities found a package of marijuana in Giovanni's cloth bag... Then, the police conducted a search at the perpetrator's inn in Pondok Nini Ubud, Jalan Sari, Peliatan Village, Ubud District, Gianyar. During the search, the police found 9 marijuana trees in front of the outer door of the perpetrator's room. Then, the police also found three packages of marijuana in the refrigerator, one package in the suitcase, one package on the floor, one package in the carrying bag and one package on the refrigerator. "The modus operandi is to possess, store or control narcotics such as marijuana for distribution," said Khozin.
"Police Charge Sanur Café Owner with Murder Following Bloody Incident" from Coconuts: The owner of a café in Sanur, where a bloody altercation took place on Sunday, has been charged with murder after the man he assaulted for attacking another person died from his head injury. “The suspect struck the victim because he cannot accept seeing his friend stabbed, so he was angry and he took his sickle to attack the victim,” South Denpasar sub-precinct chief Citra Fatwa Rahmadani said. The suspect, identified by his initials, "IA," has been charged with murder under Indonesia’s criminal code, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
"11 Still Missing After Fishing Boat Accident in Bali As Search is Called Off" from The Jakarta Post: After a weeklong search, a search and rescue team has called off its mission to locate 11 missing crew members of a fishing vessel that sank in the Badung Strait in Bali on Oct. 6. Fishing vessel KM Tanjung Permai started sinking in waters off Uluwatu, Badung regency, at 10 p.m. on Oct. 5. Authorities lost contact with the ship the next day, after the captain had communicated with the company operating it, PT Lianiti Abadi. In one of the last radio messages, the captain told the company that water had gotten into the boat. The ship was carrying 12 crew members, but only one survivor has been found.
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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