Tuesday, July 21
4 more deaths as infections double & fatalities triple in just 3 weeks + Badung Police set to widely enforce health protocols + Padanggalak Beach closed again + Tabanan opens 5 tourist sites + more!
Good morning! Welcome to the COVID-19 Update for Bali for Tuesday, July 21. Please subscribe and share it with others in the foreigner community on the island. I happily put this daily newsletter together as a public service, and it will be free so long as the current emergency lasts. *A paid subscription is NOT required to access this content.* When signing up, select the "None" option and you'll get it delivered to your Inbox each day. If you would like to support my work, please consider making a voluntary contribution of US$5/month. Supporters receive an early update on the government’s daily infection & recovery numbers each night within an hour or so of their announcement… plus my enduring gratitude!
Status Update
National Numbers:
Bali Numbers:
Regency Numbers:
Confirmed Cases Distribution:
Key: Red = Infected | Green = Recovered | Black = Died
30-Day Trends:
More details on the locations of positive cases within each Regency, as well as the number of suspected cases ("ODP") and people under in-patient observation ("PDP"), can be found in charts & infographics on the websites of each Regency's Covid-19 Task Force:
Badung | Bangli | Buleleng | Denpasar City | Gianyar | Jembrana | Karangasem | Klungkung | Tabanan
Sources:
The national update comes from the Indonesia National Disaster Management Agency: @BNPB_Indonesia
The Bali Numbers infographic comes from the Bali Provincial Government COVID-19 Task Force (link).
The Confirmed Cases Distribution map & Regency Numbers figures come from the Bali Provincial Government's data collection department (link).
NOTE: While the national government includes daily testing totals in its infographic, Bali’s provincial government does not routinely release this data, so it is not included.
The Big News
"4 People in Bali Die from Covid-19 for Two Consecutive Days" from The IDN Times (Indonesian): For two consecutive days, cases of death in the care of Covid-19 in Bali increased by four people, on Sunday and Monday. Until now the cumulative total of death cases in Bali has reached 44 people. Yesterday's four victims came from Buleleng (2), Tabanan (1), and Badung (1).
(Ed. Note: It took Bali over three months - from March 21 until June 28 - to reach 1,414 confirmed cases and 13 deaths. In the three weeks since then the number of infections has nearly doubled, while deaths have more than tripled. The rate of spread is rapidly accelerating. You can pass along the virus even if you feel fine and do not show symptoms. Wear a mask. Avoid crowds. Stay out of cafes and bars.)
"Amidst a New Normal Era Pandemic, Badung Regional Police Enforce Discipline in Health Protocols" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): Kompol Ni Putu Utariani, Deputy Chief of Badung Police, said that targets in this activity are people including sellers / traders, buyers, parking attendants and market officers, tourist visitors, employees, managers of attractions. "We have been mapping in Red Zone locations in Badung regency such as markets, crowded places, attractions, tourism objects and others," he explained, while mentioning this activity had synergized with the Indonesian Military Police Satpol PP and other parties such as community leaders.
"Tabanan Opens Five Attractions" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): Tabanan Regency re-opened five tourist objects on Monday that have met the "New Era" health protocols of life order. Per the governor’s re-opening plan, the sites are open to visit from local tourists only. The five attractions that have begun to be opened for tourist visits are Ulun Danu Beratan, The Blooms Garden, Eka Karya Bali Botanic Garden or Bedugul Botanical Garden in Baturiti District, Tanah Lot in Kediri District, and Jatiluwih in Kecamatan Penebel.
Other Headlines
"Padanggalak Beach Temporarily Closed to Kite Activity" from Antara (Indonesian): "To prevent the Covid-19 pandemic from spreading further in the city of Denpasar, access to Padanggalak Beach has been temporarily closed to kite-flying community activities. This step is an effort to reduce crowds," said Deputy Bendesa (adat) Kesiman of Denpasar City, Wayan Sukana. He said that access to all public facilities continues to be evaluated, even though they have begun to be applied in the life of the new era. Wayan Sukana said that in principle the customary village does not prohibit the community from raising kites. However, aspects of COVID-19 prevention must also be prioritized. Given the positive cases of COVID-19 is still high in the city of Denpasar.
"Complaining of Slow Verification of Tourism Accommodations, Badung Regency DPRD Calls Verification Team" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): Business owners in Badung have filed a protest because the Regency's verification team has been slow in carrying out the verification process which will allow them to re-open under the "New Normal" regime. Deputy Chairman I of the Badung Regency DPRD, Wayan Suyasa will call the Badung verification team. "We will appeal and call the verification team to the Board to what extent and what has been done to accelerate the opening of tourist objects and accommodations," he said. "Because without verification, tourism accommodation that is ready to operate cannot do much."
"Destitute Russian to be Deported from Bali" from Bali Discovery: A 35-year-old Russian man, Marat Rusminnubaev, who was taken into custody by Badung Regency Enforcement Officers on Monday, 13 July, for sleeping rough on empty grounds located near the entrance to Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, has been found to be in violation of Section 75 of Law Number 6 on Immigration on Public Order and will be deported... Spokesperson for the Provincial Office for the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, I Putu Surya Darma, said that immigration officials are coordinating the details of Marat Rusminnubaev’s deportation with the Russian Consulate in Bali. Under Indonesian law, Marat Rusminnubaev can be held for up to 30 days pending deportation. If flights are not available, the 30 days will be extended until a suitable flight back to Russia becomes available.
The View from Outside
"With Tourists Gone, Bali Workers Return to Farms and Fishing" from The New York Times: It is not the life that Ms. Ayu had imagined for herself. But on Bali, which depends heavily on tourism, she is one of thousands of workers who have been forced by the coronavirus pandemic to return to their villages and traditional ways of making a living. “This is my first time being jobless, and sometimes I want to cry,” Ms. Ayu said. “Everything is returning to the old time. That’s what we have to do rather than starving.” Like Ms. Ayu, many have returned to their family farms, helping to plant and harvest crops. Others feed their families by digging for clams in shallow Benoa Bay or by casting fishing lines out to sea from one of Bali’s deserted beaches.
Non-Covid News of Note
"To Safeguard Community Food Security, Expansion of Rice Planting Targeted" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): The Government of the Regency of Buleleng continues to strive to expand the rice planting area. Especially in the dry season this year. Expansion of the rice planting area is expected to meet the food needs of Buleleng residents. Especially during the pandemic, food supply from outside the region is predicted to be choked up. Buleleng's Head of the Agriculture Service, I Made Sumiarta, said that in the second planting season this year, Buleleng was targeted to be able to penetrate the planting area of 4-5 thousand hectares. The target is expected to be reached in December.
"Central Government Plans to Build Two Solar Power Plants in Bali" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): The central government is rumored to be building two Solar Power Plant (PLTS) units in Bali. That was revealed in the internal plenary meeting of the Bali Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) on Monday. The location of the two PLTS is planned to be Jembrana and Karangasem Regencies. the construction of the two PLTS is currently still in the process of study, one of which must be adjusted to the spatial and regional planning (RTRW) in each district.
"Bali Planning More Street Lights In Canggu to Help Reduce Crime" from The Bali Sun: The provincial government has began building sidewalks and hopes to install more lights to help traffic flow and reduce crime. Work has started on Jalan Batu Bolong, Canggu Village , North Kuta as construction vehicles were spotted clearing the way for the new sidewalks... Head of Canggu Village, I Nengah Lana confirmed that the sidewalk project had started. “Infrastructure improvements do indeed need to be done in Canggu besides the construction of the sidewalks now, we also lack hundreds of street lights” he said. “Many roads are dark in Canggu and it leads to high crime so we need more lights and are working with North Kuta Police,” he added.
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 fund 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.
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 cancelled the automatic Emergency Stay Permit program that had been extended to most foreigners who are still in the country on temporary stay visas. You can see a (translated) list of all of the relevant entry regulations on the Directorate General of Immigration & Ministry of Law and Human Rights' website here. Scroll down halfway to the heading "Foreign nationals still residing in Indonesia due to suspending departure and ITAS & ITAP holders overseas" to see their list of which visas can still be extended. If you reside in Badung Regency, from the southern end of the island up to North Kuta, you need to make an appointment with the Immigration office in the Airport before you go in. You can make your appointment here. Follow them on social media to receive policy updates as soon as they are released: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Local travel website Traveloka has a helpful page with a summary of what’s needed to travel to and within the country. You can also order a rapid test or swab (PCR) test via their platform: Link
The British Embassy in Jakarta has recently posted a great summary of the Indonesian government's travel restrictions on their Facebook page. You can read it here.
The EU has launched a website to help travelers stay informed about how member states will be accelerating the reopening of their borders. Through the “EU Re-open” website, travelers can enter the name of the country they wish to visit and find out the rules that will apply after each place's coronavirus lockdown. Information on the EU Re-open website and app will continue to be updated in line with the developments of the coronavirus pandemic.
If you are trying to plan travel anywhere, here are some 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 Travel Information Manual Automatic (Timatic) database feeds into airlines' reservation systems, so it is the most reliable list of flight restrictions around.
Revolver Maps' Travel Restrictions Database - This list pulls directly from IATA's Timatic database and arranges the countries in lists that are easier to navigate and creates share-able links for every country. NOTE: This is a third-party service and they warn that the updates to their system can be delayed by several hours for certain countries.
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.
About This Newsletter
This newsletter is a product of Migration Media, the hub for stories from and about the international migrant experience.
Our standards
We only include news items from established media sources
We do not share rumors.
We do not include opinion pieces or forecasts.
For all stories marked "Indonesian" I have used Google Translate to convert it from Bahasa. In most cases I will polish the excerpt and/or write a short summary in proper English to help clarify the details.
For any questions, comments or tips, please contact us at newsletter@migrationmedia.net.