Tuesday, September 15
Denpasar Imigrasi office closed due to Covid-19 & Reunion Visas are back + Bali Legislators urge Guv to institute lockdown while Jokowi says "Not so fast" + Tourist spots to be "Restricted" + more!
Good morning! Welcome to The Bali Beat for Tuesday, September 15. 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: Yesterday was the first day in more than 2 weeks without a triple-digit increase in new cases, and just the second day since August 23 when the number of people who recovered from Covid was greater than the number of people diagnosed with the virus. Click here to see the complete breakdown of yesterday’s numbers + trendlines in our evening update. 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
IMMIGRATION UPDATE #1: The Denpasar Imigrasi office has been closed until September 18 "To prevent the spread and transmission of Covid-19." No details have been provided as to whether any staff there have tested positive for the virus, or if anyone who has been in the office in the last several days should get tested. (Ed. Note: I absolutely would!) Foreigners who have scheduled photo sessions, interviews, and document pick-up appointments will be served starting September 21. You can see the official announcement - in Bahasa - on the Denpasar Imigrasi office's Instagram and Twitter pages. A notice has also been posted on their website here.
IMMIGRATION UPDATE #2: Foreigners who are married to an Indonesian, and their dependents, are now able to apply to re-enter the country using a temporary stay "Reunion Visa." The new application process and its requirements have been posted on Imigrasi's Instagram, Facebook & Twitter pages.
"DPRD Members Ask Koster to Pay Attention to Experts on Lockdown and PCR Tests" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): In addition to suggestions that the government should increase the number of PCR tests, there have also been suggestions by experts and academics for Bali to be locked down or to carry out an area quarantine. Members of the Bali DPRD have asked that these recommendations be considered by the Bali Provincial Government under the control of Governor Wayan Koster. "The views of the experts of course must be of concern to the Bali Provincial Government, the facts also appear to be numerical, and if we look deeper, the main result is our indiscipline," said Bali DPRD member AA Ngurah Adhi Ardhana.
"Jokowi Urges to Not Be Hasty In Enforcing Regional Lockdown" from Antara: "Once again, do not rush to close an area, city, or district, and if we work based on data, the intervention steps will be more effective and can immediately solve problems on the field," Jokowi remarked. The head of state also reminded that decisions taken in response to additional cases in provinces, districts, or cities should be based on distribution data. "I have told you numerous times to apply local-based intervention strategies and local-scale limitation strategies, be it at the RT, RW (neighborhood level), village level, or hamlet level, so that the handling mechanism is more detailed and focused," the president noted. President Jokowi cited as an example that a province could have 20 districts and cities, but not all of them are categorized as red zones. Hence, the handling mechanisms should not be generalized.
"Almost All Areas in Bali Are Red Zones; the Number of Beds Has Increased to 1,025" fro The IDN Times (Indonesian): Spokesperson for Denpasar City's Covid-19 Task Force, I Dewa Gede Rai, revealed that it is not only Denpasar City that is currently in the red zone. Other districts are also in red zones, including Badung, Gianyar, Bangli, Jembrana, Karangasem, Buleleng, and Tabanan Regencies. Meanwhile, Klungkung Regency is still in the orange zone... Apart from 17 referral hospitals, according to dr. Gusti Ngurah Anom, that in Bali Province 38 private hospitals have been added to handle COVID-19. From the initial total of 700 available beds, it has now increased to 1,025 beds. (Ed. Note: The central government has not yet changed Bali Province's status from an Orange Zone to a Red Zone.)
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Other Headlines
"Positive Cases of Covid-19 in Bali Increasing, Koster Will Carry Out Restrictions On Tourist Attractions" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): Responding to the positive cases of Covid-19 which have recently increased, Bali Governor Wayan Koster will place restrictions on tourist attractions and crowd centers. "Oh yes, we will impose restrictions on tourist attractions including the center of the crowd because it turns out to be a new cluster," said Koster. "We control the beach, it's very limited." Despite the restrictions, Koster emphasized that the existence of tourism, especially for domestic / domestic tourists, is still open. "It still applies, but we limit activities in tourist destinations."
(Ed. Note: This was a breaking story last night. No details have yet been provided on what kinds of restrictions are being rolled out, or which attractions will be subject to them.)
"Koster Says Regents Are Now Compact in Imposing Rp. 100,000 Fine to People Who Do Not Wear Masks" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): A number of regents in Bali reportedly did not impose fines for people who did not wear masks, even though every regent / mayor in Bali has also issued a regent regulation (Perbup) / Mayor Regulation (Perwali) regulating the same thing. Responding to this, Bali Governor Wayan Koster said that the regents who previously did not impose mask fines are now compact in implementing them. "Now it is compact (to implement)," said Koster. (Ed. Note: Click through to this story for a wrap-up of the Regents who have backed off from imposing fines and their comments on the issue.)
"Over 73,000 People In Bali Furloughed, 2,500 Laid Off Due to COVID-19 Crisis" from Coconuts: Bali Governor Wayan Koster reported the latest estimates over the weekend, warning that the numbers will likely increase as the pandemic goes on. "I figure if the pandemic continues these numbers will also increase,” Koster said. Koster added that Bali’s tax revenue from hotels and restaurants saw a significant decline, with the example of Badung regency, where popular tourist spots Kuta and Seminyak is located, being one of the worst affected.
"Puskesmas IV Densel Closed, 40 People Isolated" from Bali Express(Indonesian): Inpatient and outpatient services at Puskesmas IV Denpasar Selatan are temporarily closed. This closure was carried out because six medical personnel and staff at the puskesmas tested positive for Covid-19. Meanwhile, 40 medical personnel and other staff who were in close contact with one of the positive patients underwent independent isolation. The Puskesmas located on Jalan Pulau Moyo, Pedungan is closed from Friday (11/9) to Sunday (20/9). Services will return to normal on Monday (21/9).
"Cafe Visitors in Bali Not Wearing Masks Are Sentenced to Push Ups" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): Firm action was taken by a joint team that carried out mask raids at a number of cafes in Badung and Denpasar Regencies, Bali. Those who are caught not wearing masks are subject to push-ups. "During the inspection, several residents were not wearing masks. The joint team immediately gave directions and education and push-up actions to always comply with health protocols ," said Dandim Badung Lt. Col. I Made Alit Yudiana... The Pergub regulates a fine of Rp. 100,000 for those who do not wear masks. However, the joint team chose not to apply these sanctions, and put forward education. "While the actions taken are still prioritizing warnings and education, including push-ups only," he said.
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.
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 try to polish the excerpt and/or write a short summary in proper English to help clarify the details.
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