Tuesday, October 6
Dengue Fever spreading; cases double from last year in Tabanan + Country hits 300k cases + Govt does test run of vaccination procedures + Omnibus jobs bill passed in rush amid calls for strike + more!
Good morning! Welcome to The Bali Beat for Tuesday, October 6. If you’re not a subscriber, sign up here to get this update delivered directly to your Inbox every Monday-Saturday morning, along with each evening’s Covid-19 update. If you are already a subscriber, thank you! Please be sure to share it with others in the foreigner community on the island by clicking the button below.
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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. And in case you missed it, check out Sunday’s update for a summary of last week’s overall totals, with perspective on how they stack up against previous weeks + detailed breakdowns of the virus’ spread on a Regency-by-Regency level.
The Big News
"Not Only COVID-19, DHF Cases in Tabanan Have Almost Doubled" from The IDN Times (Indonesian): In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, denque hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is still a threat to the people of Tabanan Regency. Especially now that it is entering the rainy season. Although DHF cases in Tabanan during the last three months (July-September 2020) have decreased, compared to 2019, the number of cases has actually increased significantly. While in 2019 there were 176 dengue cases recorded, in 2020 it has increased to 339 cases.
"Omnibus Bill on Job Creation Passed Into Law Despite Opposition" from The Jakarta Post: The government and the House of Representatives passed on Monday the controversial omnibus bill on job creation into law, sooner than its initial plan of Thursday, despite mounting opposition to the bill over its feared impact on the environment and labor rights. The law aims to improve bureaucratic efficiency and cut red tape, particularly in regard to business permits and investment... Civil society organizations, grouped in a coalition calling itself the Indonesian People's Faction (FRI), have also voiced their disappointment, saying the state has turned a blind eye to popular opposition to the controversial bill, which the FRI believes only accommodates business interests.
(Ed. Note: Opposition to this bill has spurred protests across the country, including here in Denpasar. In fact, the vote on the bill had been moved up from Thursday after opposition leaders had called for a 3-day national strike by workers starting today. It is over 900 pages long with 15 sections containing 80 new laws, so its exact contents - and how it might affect foreigners living and working in the country - is not yet clear. You can read more about the bill and why people oppose it here.)
"Indonesia Passes 300,000 Covid Cases as Jakarta Sees New High" form The Jakarta Globe: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Indonesia hit the 300,000 mark on Sunday after Jakarta reported a new high in daily total. The country has recorded nearly 4,000 new cases in the last 24 hours to take its total to 303,498, including 11,151 deaths. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Indonesia hit the 300,000 mark on Sunday after Jakarta reported a new high in daily total. The country has recorded nearly 4,000 new cases in the last 24 hours to take its total to 303,498, including 11,151 deaths. Indonesia has a total of 63,894 active cases of the virus, or 21.1 percent of total cases. More than 228,000 Covid-19 patients have been cured or discharged.
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Other Headlines
"Swab Test Fee in Bali is Still Priced at IDR 1.7 Million" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): The cost of the swab test is still high, because the Bali Provincial Government through the Bali Provincial Health Office (Diskes) argues that it still follows the standard price set by the central government. According to The cost of the swab test is still high, because the Bali Provincial Government through the Bali Provincial Health Office (Diskes) argues that it still follows the standard price set by the central government. According to Head of Bali Provincial Health Office, Dr. Ketut Suarjaya, "We have to adjust the price standard according to the central circular letter. Currently, the swab price range is still valued at Rp 1.7 million. We are still waiting for the circular [a out the new reduced price]. Furthermore, when all the letters have been issued, all parties, both regional and central government hospitals must follow."
"Bali is Second Test Site for Injecting COVID-19 Vaccine" from Antara (Indonesian): The Ministry of Health conducted a vaccination simulation by checking the readiness of the team at Puskesmas 1 Abiansemal, Badung, Bali which was first carried out with health protocols, including washing hands and checking body temperature. Secretary of the Director General of Disease Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health, M. Budi Hidayat, said that this simulation is to check and the readiness of medical personnel in Bali to inject the COVID-19 vaccine. "The simulation of giving the COVID-19 vaccine will later be tested on the general public and medical personnel," he said.
"After One week of Operation, Tabanan Hospital PCR Lab Checks 343 Samples" from The IDN Times (Indonesian): Since operating on Wednesday (23/9/2020), the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Laboratory (Lab) of the Regional General Hospital (RSUD) Tabanan has examined a total of 343 samples. Initially, only samples from the internal Tabanan Hospital were examined. However, after three days of operation, the PCR lab of the Tabanan Hospital began to receive samples from all hospitals (RS) in Tabanan, both government and private hospitals. However, due to limited machine capabilities, the examination of samples from outside Tabanan Regency is still not possible.
"9 Members of the Buleleng DPRD Positive Covid-19 Without Symptoms" from Suara Bali (Indonesian): Gede Suyasa, Secretary of Buleleng's COvid-19 Task Force said that apart from 9 members of the council, a Buleleng DPRD secretariat was also positive for Covid-19. They are now undergoing isolation in their respective homes. His party is also currently working on so that they undergo independent isolation in a place that has been provided by the Bali Provincial Government. These diagnoses come after 33 members of the Buleleng DPRD underwent swab tests on Friday and Saturday.
"Hospital Association Slams Govt for Claiming False COVID-19 Diagnoses by Doctors" from The Jakarta Post: PERSI chairman Kuntjoro Adi Purjanto said such a statement could only serve to stigmatize health workers’ sincere efforts to treat coronavirus patients and prevent further deaths as the pandemic continues unabated. “[The claim] could massively influence public trust in hospitals and betray health workers’ unwavering dedication,” he said in a written statement issued on Sunday. Furthermore, the bold claim, as it was not supported by any data or evidence, could help create a misleading narrative that cast hospitals in an unfavorable light, he added.
"Bali Entering Pancaroba, BMKG Denpasar Appeals for Potential Disaster Risk" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): Bali is entering the transition season. The public is urged to remain alert to the potential for high waves and disaster risks. Head of the Center for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BBMKG) Region III Denpasar, M. Taufik Gunawan said, "We urge the public to be aware of the potential for high sea waves and to remain vigilant and be careful about the impact of disasters which is caused by extreme weather such as floods, puddles, landslides, strong winds, fallen trees and lightning."
"Another Gianyar DPRD Member Caught During Operation Yustisi" from Bali Express (Indonesian): During an Operation Yustisi Covid-19 health protocol patrol held on Jalan Raya Tegallalang, Gianyar, on Monday, a second member of the Gianyar Regency DPRD was caught but did not want to get out of the car and was only given a warning. Gusti Ngurah Supriadi from the Gerindra Party was reluctant to get out of the car, and only stopped when asked by officers. He showed the mask he had put in the car. After that, he was reprimanded and immediately left. "In the car I was alone, every time I entered the car, I had already been sprayed with a hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer is not a disinfectant because disinfectants cannot be used indoors,” he explained.
"Domestic Hotels Score Best in Pandemic" from Bali Discovery: Indonesian hotel occupancies nationwide began to show subtle rejuvenation signs starting from August 2020. The head of BPS, Suhariyanto, said: “Average hotel occupancies nationwide increased from 28.07% in July to 32.93% in August.” The BPS Chief said the August figure demonstrates a month-to-month improvement in average occupancy. August 2020’s average occupancy of 32.93% compares poorly with one year before – August 2019, when the corresponding figure was 53.52% Year-on-year, average occupancies at Indonesian hotels are down 21.21%.
The View from Outside
"Bali's Exploding Coronavirus Death Rate Could Make Island Last Place Aussies Return to" from Nine.com.au: The problem is Indonesians are now allowed to move between islands, bringing to Bali a COVID-19 explosion. The infection rate doubled with 3671 cases in September, and deaths increasing six-fold with 207 during the same month. And those official figures are thought to be just a fraction of the true picture with the testing rate among the lowest in the world. "We don't know where is the virus actually, how to control it," local epidemiologist Professor Gusti Ngurah Mahardika concedes.
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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We only include news items from established media sources
We do not share rumors.
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For all stories marked "Indonesian" I have used Google Translate to convert it from Bahasa. In most cases I try to polish the excerpt and/or write a short summary in proper English to help clarify the details.
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