Tuesday, May 12
Starting May 15, entry into Denpasar limited to people on official business & those who pass a rapid test at one of 16 checkpoints. Mayor insists it's not a lockdown + Divorce skyrocketing + more!
Good morning! Welcome to the COVID-19 Update for Bali for Tuesday, May 12. 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. But if you would like to support my work, please consider taking up a voluntary subscription at US$5/month. Thanks!
Status Update
Country-wide Numbers:
Source:
Indonesia National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB Indonesia): @BNPB_Indonesia
Official updates are available from the Indonesian Government here.
Bali Numbers:
Confirmed Cases Distribution:
Key: Red = Infected | Green = Recovered | Black = Died
Bali 30-Day Trends:
Sources:
Infographic comes from Bali Provincial Government COVID-19 Task Force (link).
The geographic breakdown comes from the Bali Provincial Government's data collection department (link).
Charts have been compiled using their data.
More details on the locations of positive cases within each Regency, as well as the number of suspected cases ("ODP") and people under observation ("PDP"), can be found in charts & infographics on the official websites of each Regency's COVID-19 Task Force:
Badung | Bangli | Buleleng | Denpasar City | Gianyar | Jembrana | Karangasem | Klungkung | Tabanan
How You Can Help
Each weekday we'll let you know about an organization or a person who is trying to make a difference for the people of Bali in these difficult times, and how you can pitch in.
The People Must Makan: Local photographer/videographer David Biner (Indo Eye) is raising money to purchase and deliver food to people in need. He's been working with the BaliLife Foundation and others to establish connections with local banjar leaders and identify individuals and families that are struggling as a result of the economic crisis. He's documenting his activities and providing regular updates on his Facebook & Instagram pages, where you can reach out to offer support. You can contribute to his efforts via his GoFundMe page, and can help raise awareness by using his hashtag #ThePeopleMustMakan ("the people must eat").
Please visit this page to see a list of all of the efforts that we've featured so far. If you know anyone who is raising funds, delivering food, organizing volunteers, or otherwise trying to rally people to the cause of assisting our neighbors here in Bali, please let us know by sending an email to newsletter@migrationmedia.net.
The Big News
"Denpasar Adds Additional PKM Monitoring Locations to the 11 Originally Planned, Documentation Required to Do Business In City" from The Bali Post (Indonesian): Details of the plan to implement Community Activity Restrictions (PKM) in Denpasar are coming together, with revisions still being made by the City Government team. Some of the regulations include:
Administrative sanctions for violators will be standardized across all villages.
The number of checkpoints to monitor people entering the city will increase from 11 to 16.
Companies that have employees who must travel into the city for work will need to provide a letter of assignment or a certificate for them to work.
I Made Toya, Assistant I of the Denpasar City Secretariat and Chair of the city's COVID-19 task force stressed that this PKM is not a lockdown. All activities may proceed as usual; they are only being limited. The economic sector is still running.
"New Non-PSBB Restrictions for Denpasar Includes Rapid Testing Requirement for Entry Into the City" from Detik (Indonesian): When the city's new Community Activity Restriction (PKM) rules come into effect on May 15, only people with "clear objectives" will be allowed to enter the city, and all people will be required to take a rapid test... "Sampling to find out the people who enter Denpasar is being ramped up; if the results are reactive we will refer the person directly to swabs and they will be immediately quarantined," said Denpasar Task Force Spokesperson Dewa Gede Rai.
"Koster Calls Denpasar's PKM A Good Step, but No Need to Spread Province-wide" from Bali Express (Indonesian): The Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, welcomed the steps taken by the Denpasar City Government. But while he asserted there was no need to be spread the policy across Bali, the regulatory framework provides a model that other villages or towns could use going forward. "This is a legal umbrella for the needs of the village or kelurahan according to the needs and conditions of each. If it is deemed necessary to restrict activities, the village or sub-district can submit a request. So there is a process."... Several restrictions have been made at this time. Such as the isolation in Abuan Village, Susut, Bangli District; Bondalem Village, Tejakula District, Buleleng; and Padangkerta Urban Village, Karangasem District / Regency. Even if there are other villages that propose PKM, he continued, it means there is something that is felt necessary to implement restrictions. There are criteria that need to be met.
Other Headlines
"Bali Police Ready to Help Enforce PKM In Denpasar" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): Bali Province Satpol PP, with its 1,200 personnel, stands ready to assist the Denpasar City Government in the implementation of PKM. Head of Bali's Police force, Dewa Nyoman Darmadi, said, "We have 1,200 personnel throughout Bali. If PKM will be implemented in Denpasar, our personnel can be directed to focus on backing up the Denpasar City Government so that the implementation of PKM goes according to plan.
"Hospitals In Bali Must Have Isolation Rooms, Negative Pressure Standards" from The Bali Post (Indonesian): All hospitals in Bali will now be required to have isolation rooms with negative pressure standards or risk losing their accreditation. "With COVID-19, it reminds us all that the standard of negative pressure isolation space must be followed," said the Head of the Bali Provincial Health Service, Dr. Ketut Suarjaya... At present, according to Suarjaya, 13 hospitals in Bali, all of which are designated as COVID-19 Referral Hospitals, already have a negative pressure isolation chamber. There are also several private hospitals that have met the standard, but are not become COVID-19 referral hospitals. In total, there are 70 hospitals in Bali.
"Bali Regional Secretary: Don't Let Your Guard Down Even Though the Recovery Of COVID-19 Patients Is High" from Antara (Indonesian): Chair of the Bali Province COVID-19 Task Force, Dewa Made Indra, reminded the public not to let their guard down, even though the recovery rate of COVID-19 positive patients on the Island of the Gods has increased to 65%. "The number of patients recovering is getting higher, but all parties must not be careless because the war against COVID-19 is still long and it is unknown how long it will end," said Indra... "Various attempts were made due to the increasing number of local transmissions, namely intensifying education to continue to be disciplined in using masks, washing hands, keeping a distance, keeping the body healthy and away from the crowd," he said.
"Dengue Fever In Bali Increases, There Are 6,050 Cases, 13 Died" from Bali Express (Indonesian): In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is no less threatening. The trend has even increased compared to last year. Head of the Bali Health Service, Dr. Ketut Suarjaya said, "In general, the trend is increasing compared to last year," and that some regions with a cool climate like in Bangli, have also experienced an increase. "In the highlands, mosquitoes were rare. Now the mosquitoes don't care."
"Divorce Cases In Bali Up 30%" from The IDN Times (indonesian): A lawyer at the Bali Women Crisis Center & Legal Aid Institute, Ni Nengah Budawati, said that divorce cases during the COVID-19 pandemic have jumped 30%-50% from pre-pandemic levels... The current chaotic economic conditions affect the survival of households. Furthermore, the focus on isolating at home has the potential to cause violence against women and children at the household level to be more vulnerable. Likewise, sexual predators who remain active carry out the action. Then what if this case occurs? Where can they report if this happens to them?
"Indonesia's Tourism Industry Prepares for Post-pandemic 'New Normal'" from Coconuts: In preparation for a world that looks much different after the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism players in Indonesia are planning relevant strategies to adapt to the "new normal," wherein health and hygiene would play a key role in attracting tourists... "At this time we will be going back to the principle foundation, which is to build and restore the trust of the global market. The way to achieve this is by preparing health facilities, improving hygiene, and security protocol in every destination," said Wishnutama Kusubandio, Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Minister.
"Foreigner In Bali Damages Rice Field for Tiktok Fame While Locals Struggle to Eat" from The Bali Sun: An unidentified foreigner in Bali recorded himself damaging a rice field so he could get famous on Tiktok while locals are struggling to eat due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 10 second public video that was uploaded to TikTok shows the foreigner jumping into the rice field face first and flattening a large section of crop.
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 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.
Common abbreviations to be familiar with:
PMI: Indonesian migrant worker
PSBB: Policy of extreme social distancing. Officially restricts forms of transportation and prohibits certain types of business from operating. Requires any permitted businesses to enforce strict social distancing guidelines.
OTG: Possible cases, with no symptoms.
ODP: Suspected cases, being monitored. People with fever or respiratory symptoms such as congestion, sore throat, cough, travel in countries or areas with local transmission, or contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19. Tracked and placed under out-patient observation.
PDP: Probable cases, under observation. People with acute respiratory illness with at least one symptom such as cough, sore throat, congestion, light or heavy pneumonia, and travel in countries or areas with local transmission, or contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19. Usually placed under observation in an isolation ward at a designated hospital pending swab testing results.
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.