Tuesday, April 7
Good evening! Welcome to the COVID-19 Update for Bali for Tuesday, April 7. If you find this information useful, please subscribe and share it with others in the foreigner community on the island.
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Status Update
The latest official infection numbers for Indonesia:
Sources:
Charts are from Worldometers and are current as of 00:00 GMT today.
Official updates are available from the Indonesian Government here.
key:
Source: Bali Provincial Government COVID-19 Task Force (Link)
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.
The Big News
"No Large-Scale Social Restrictions Policy for Bali Just Yet, Provincial Government Says" from Coconuts: The Bali provincial government says it has yet to consider imposing Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) policy, which requires approval from the central government, to curb the spread of COVID-19 here, claiming that it has already implemented similar steps to an extent... "Here in Bali we are already enforcing strict limitations. Substantially we have preceded this PSBB policy, but formally and according to the [new] government regulation of course we haven't," regional secretary of the Bali administration, Dewa Made Indra said.
"Pros and Cons of 3-Day Nyepi, Bali PHDI: Wait for Paruman's Decision" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): Parisadha Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) of Bali has asked the public to wait for the decision of the Middle Paruman on whetehr to hold an additional 3-day Nyepi observation in April... To ensure proper 3-day Nyepi planning, PHDI Bali will hold an intermediary paruman to discuss the issue on Wednesday.
"34,000 Workers Laid Off By 480 Companies Due to COVID-19 Outbreak" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): More than 34,000 workers from the formal and informal sectors have been laid off from as many as 480 employers... At present, workers who have been dismissed have submitted their request to the center for re-verification in order to obtain a Pre-Work Card... At present, workers who have been dismissed have submitted their request to the center for re-verification in order to obtain a Pre-Work Card. Once verified, each laid off worker will get assistance of Rp 3,550,000,a lsong with online training. "Rp. 1 million was transferred to pay for the training, then the rest is paid in installments in stages over 4 months," Ida Bagus Ngurah Arda, Head of the Bali Province Manpower and ESDM Office, said.
Other Headlines
"Market Visitors Without Masks In Denpasar Are Asked to Return Home" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): In responce to new city guidelines, the head of the Denpasar City Sewakadarma Market Perumda Monitoring Team began checking all visitors to the market today one by one; traders and Suwun masons who did not wear masks were asked to go home to get a mask... "Yes, of course, seeing the current condition with the intensity of the spread of the corona virus, we are taking decisive action as a preventive measure," said Director of Perumda Denpasar Sewakadarma Market, IB Kompyang Wiranata.
"Stay alert! There Are More Opportunities for Crimes In the Middle of COVID-19" from The IDN Times (Indonesian): Head of Denpasar City Police (Kapolresta), AKBP Jansen Avitus Panjaitan, said there was no difference in the number of crime cases that occurred in his jurisdiction both before and after this pandemic outbreak occurred... According to Jansen, in the current condition there is a possibility of an increase in crime. Therefore, Denpasar Police and their staff conduct and enhance patrol activities on a regular basis. In addition, his party also appealed and disseminated to the public so that together they maintain the security of their environment. Among them by activating Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) if any. "We hope this will eliminate street crime , right," said Jansen. So far, crime in his jurisdiction has not increased in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. In general, the conditions are still the same as before.
"Amid High Cash Needs, Pawn Activities Increase Sharply" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): The activities of pawning goods in Buleleng Regency show an increasing trend. The mortgage action increased, following the need for cash in the community is increasingly high... Most residents choose to "liquidate" their assets, to support their daily needs. "Now tourism doesn't work. Whereas in Bali tourism is a milestone (economy). Finally people come pawning. Hopefully this condition will end soon," Singaraja Branch Pegadaian Gede Anom said yesterday.
"Bali Has Not Yet Implemented Large Scale Social Distancing, But Grab & Go-Jek Drivers Already Feel Under Threat" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): The application of the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) rules will target online motorcycle taxis, and that is causing turmoil, because the motorcycle taxi is prohibited from carrying passengers and can only provide services between goods / food. At present the regulation is only applied in DKI Jakarta... Online motorcycle taxi drivers in Bali are responding to the government discourse even though they have not yet been formalized in the regions. They are already adamant. A driver, Ali (40), said that he is ready to obey government regulations to prevent the spread of Covid-19, but not for the long term. "To prevent the spread of covid-19, I agree, but for the long term, I disagree, because most people usually use the grab bike service," he said.
The View from Outside
"Indonesian Doctors Raise Alarm Over COVID-19 Deaths Among Health Workers" from Benar News: The Indonesian Medical Association expressed alarm Monday after the number of doctors who died of COVID-19 jumped to 25, and urged the government to be transparent about its coronavirus data amid criticism about low testing rates... "We need data that everyone can refer to and can be the basis for preventive strategies for health workers, so that we can focus on tackling COVID-19," Halik Malik, spokesman for the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) told BenarNews.
"Coronavirus Hits Bali Hard: Photos Reveal How the Once-bustling Tourist Island Has Become A Ghost Town - Amid Fears Indonesia's Economy Could 'Collapse' As Travellers Stay Away" from The Daily Mail: Last year, more than one million Australians visited the island with many holidaying at hot spots like Kuta, Seminyak and Canggu. But since no more tourists are flooding in, Bali has become a ghost town with tour guides, hotel workers and shop owners struggling with the hit to the economy.
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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We only list news items from established media sources
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For all stories marked "Indonesian" we have used Google Translate to convert it from Bahasa. When possible, we will provide a short summary in proper English to help get the details of the piece across more efficiently, and we will polish the excerpt to help clarify the details.
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