Wednesday, August 12
Teachers slam govt's decision to allow schools in Yellow Zones to reopen + Vaccine begins Phase III trial in Indonesia + Only 84 tourism venues in Gianyar verified for New Era operations + more!
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Weather & Waves
Today’s Weather for Southern Bali
Today’s Tides
Surf Outlook (animation shows changes from 8:00am - 6:00pm)
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 complete breakdown of yesterday’s numbers + trendlines in our evening update.
The Big News
"Decision to Reopen More Schools Draws Ire from Teachers" from The Jakarta Post: The Federation of Indonesian Teachers Associations (FSGI) said the government’s recent decision to allow schools [in Yellow Zones] to reopen risked creating new infection clusters at schools. The group has received reports of at least 180 teachers and students from across the nation who have tested positive for the virus... “The right to live and the right for students, teachers and parents to be healthy are still the most important things,” FSGI deputy secretary-general Satriwan Salim said. “Children are also entitled to the right to education, but we have to remember that children who can get an education are children who are healthy and alive. Distance learning is the best option we have right now.” (Ed. Note: People’s Consultative Assembly speaker Bambang Soesatyo has also urged the Education and Culture Ministry to reassess its decision to allow the reopening of schools in Yellow Zones. Read more here.)
"Sinovac Launches Late-stage Trial for Potential Covid-19 Vaccine in Indonesia" from Reuters: China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd launched on Tuesday a late-stage human trial involving as many as 1,620 patients in Indonesia for a Covid-19 vaccine candidate that it is developing with Indonesian state-owned peer Bio Farma... The candidate, known as CoronaVac and previously PiCoVacc, is among few potential vaccines that have entered late-stage trials for a large-scale study to gather proof of efficacy for regulatory approval. CoronaVac is already undergoing a late-stage trial in Brazil slated for as many as 9,000 people.
(Ed. Note: Late-stage, or “Phase III,” vaccine trials are the last step in proving a vaccine’s effectiveness in preventing infection before it is approved for use by the public. It will take at least 6 months to track and analyze the results. There are currently over 165 Covid-19 vaccines in various stages of development all around the world. It is an unprecedented effort, with data and resources being shared between laboratories, amongst rival corporations, and across borders. If any of the 38 vaccines currently in some level of human trial prove effective, they will shatter the record of the fastest-ever vaccine development: 4 years to produce the M.M.R., or mumps, vaccine in 1967. You can read a great breakdown on the vaccine development process, as well as a summary of which vaccines are in which stage of development, by heading over to the New York Times’ Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker.)
"Of the Thousands of Tourist Attractions in Gianyar, Only 84 are Verified" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): "As of August 5, there are 6 destinations, 2 tourist villages, 2 attractions, and 74 hotels and restaurants that have been verified," said Kadispar Gianyar, Anak Agung Gede Putrawan. While he was not able to provide the exact number of tourist venues that still need to be verified, "What is clear, the total is in the thousands," he explained.
Other Headlines
"[Plan Being Developed for Possibility of] Schools in Bali in the Yellow Zone Opening in Late August" from Kumparan (Indonesian): Head of the Bali Province Education, Youth and Sports Agency (Disdikspora) Ketut Ngurah Boy Jayawibawa explained, for Bali, his party is currently still compiling Technical Guidelines (Juknis) for school opening in the midst of the Covid-19 virus pandemic for green and yellow zones. He conveyed that in Bali it was in accordance with the direction of the Bali Governor that for determining village-based zones which could later be opened and met face to face... "Green or yellow at the end of August we are trying to (open). But of course it cannot be done immediately and there is still a transition. Even though it (schools) are already in a yellow or green zone, of course they must get permission from the government," he explained.
"PCR Lab Support Tools Arriving in Bali Soon" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): A device called Laminar Air Flow and Biosafety Cabinet ordered from abroad was already in Jakarta, and it is said that it is now on a trip to Bali. The Bali Provincial Government has provided assistance to the Tabanan Regency Government in the form of this PCR tool. The aid was confirmed on July 17 as a way to increase testing capacity and relieve pressure at Tabanan BRSU, which is one of the referral hospitals for handling Covid-19. Once online, each day the swab test machine can process 108 samples, broken up into 36 samples every 3 hours.
"Bali Residents Protest Cremation of Covid-19 Victim Over Alleged Lack of Notice" from Coconuts: Health officials in Bali allegedly neglected to inform local residents of a sub-district in Buleleng regency on matters related to the cremation of a COVID-19 patient, leading to a collective refusal in the area for the process to take place over the weekend... Dozens of local residents refused a cremation process for a COVID-19 victim on Saturday, fearing that smoke from the coronavirus may lead to transmission of the virus. “We didn’t know that the protocol for deceased Covid-19 patients allowed for cremation to take place. So it’s very natural that there was refusal,” Wawan Budianto, who spoke on behalf of a group of local residents from the Kampung Baru sub-district in Buleleng, said.
"Ubud Hotels and Restaurants Open to Wait for International Tourists" from Bali Express: Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants (PHRI) Gianyar, Made Adit, said that although the government has authorized the opening of tourism objects for domestic tourists, this is considered to have no effect on the course of tourism in Gianyar. Because so far, visitors have mostly lived or stayed in the southern area, namely in the Kuta or Badung area... "We are waiting for the government to open a visa on arrival. Because, if it has not been opened, foreign tourists cannot come to Bali because there are no flights. The flight also thinks who wants to be transported. If foreigners cannot enter Bali. Meanwhile, for domestic tourists, so far tourism in Gianyar has not been affected, because they usually live in southern Bali," he explained.
"28 TNI Soldiers of the IX / Udayana Military Command Who Have Recovered from Covid-19 Donate Plasma" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): The soldiers donated their plasma at a Convalescent Plasma Donor event organized by the Indonesian Red Cross of Bali Province. Pangdam IX / Udayana Maj. Gen. Kurnia Dewantara said, "The conventional plasma therapy method uses blood plasma of Covid-19 patients who have recovered, this is because the blood of recovered Covid-19 patients contains immunity or antibodies," he explained. It is hoped that through convalescent plasma therapy, the antibodies of Covid-19 patients who are already healthy can help patients who are still sick to overcome their disease.
"Besakih Temple Will Be Renovated with A Budget of 1 Trillion Rupiah" from Bali Plus: The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (KemenPUPR) will plan renovations to the sacred area of Pura Besakih (Besakih Tempe) in Bali. They estimate that the work requires a budget of up to IDR 1 trillion... Pura Besakih is a Cultural Heritage Area in the Karangasem Regency of Bali. The Minister of Public Works and Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, said that the renovation of the temple complex area located in Besakih Village is a follow-up to the proposal from the Bali Regional Government (Pemda) that was submitted to President Joko Widodo. “The renovation of the Besakih Temple area has been planned for two years by the local government of Bali and then presented to the President. God willing, we can start working on it for one year,” Basuki said.
The View from Outside
"Support Builds in Indonesia for Bali Travel Bubble with Australia" from The Australian Financial Review: Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesia's co-ordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, said Australia, along with Singapore, China and South Korea, would be among nations welcomed back by Indonesia as it reopens for tourists... Australia's tourism minister Simon Birmingham was more circumspect. "People shouldn’t get ahead of themselves. There is still a way to go in opening up travel with New Zealand, which remains more likely than other countries," 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.
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