Wednesday, August 26
Country sees highest daily death toll since July + Island's school reopening plan released + 39 health workers in Buleleng infected this month so far + Komodo National Park reopening + 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)
*NOTE: A High Wave Warning has been issued for today. Waves between 1.25-2.5 meters are likely to occur in the Bali Sea and in the Sumbawa Sea.
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
"Indonesia Reports Highest Covid-19 Death Toll in More than a Month" from The Jakarta Globe: Indonesia reported 99 coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday, the highest daily death toll in the outbreak since July 23. A total of 6,858 people have been killed since the outbreak. The government doesn’t include deaths in probable cases as Covid-19 deaths, despite the fact that thousands more deceased patients have been buried under strict protocols against the virus, including the use of plastic-wrapped coffins. The number of confirmed cases of the virus spiked by 2,447 countrywide, the third-highest daily rise since the outbreak, to take the country’s total to 157,859.
"39 Health Care Workers and Buleleng Hospital Staff Exposed to Covid-19 Since Early August" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): Of this number, there are 36 people who have been declared cured, while the remaining three are still being treated. This then made Buleleng Hospital a cluster for the spread of the corona virus... "Hospitals are still dynamically a cluster, because every day patients come. It is impossible not to become a cluster, because they serve patients. Once they receive a patient in the emergency room, they become infected and transmit them again to other health workers. Even though they are now exposed, they recover tomorrow, then work. Again, there will be a chance of getting infected again because they serve patients. So dynamically the hospital remains a cluster," said Buleleng Regency Sectretary, Gede Suyasa.
"Bali Disdikpora Has Prepared Face-to-Face Learning Mechanisms during the Covid-19 Pandemic" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): The Head of the Bali Province Youth and Sports Education Office (Disdikpora), Ketut Ngurah Boy Jayawibawa, said that when schools are opened for face-to-face learning, it will start with elementary, junior high, high schools, and vocational high schools. Meanwhile, Early Childhood Education and Kindergarten cannot be opened face-to-face. "This is a real transitional period. But make no mistake, it does not have to be opened. (This is still) preparation; if it schools are opened in the new normal era this is a transitional plan to occur over two months," he said... Unless a circular letter from the Governor of Bali has been issued, not all schools will automatically be opened. If such an authorization comes, a process will need to be followed. "They (schools) have to submit a checklist. So there are more or less six items. Later we will check all of them. If it is really ready then it can be implemented," he said.
(Ed. Note: It is important to clarify, because the translation does not make it 100% clear, that the Provincial Government has not yet authorized schools to reopen. These policies have been drawn up so that schools have an action plan to follow once authorization has been given. Bali’s infection rate status has recently been downgraded to an Orange Zone, so under the national government’s rules it would not be able to open schools island-wide. Any reopenings would have to come at the Regency or Village/District level.)
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Other Headlines
"NTB Imposing Fines for Protocol Violators Starting September" from Republika (Indonesian): The Provincial Government of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), starting in September, will impose fines for people who are not disciplined in implementing Covid-19 health protocols. There are sanctions in the form of fines of up to Rp. 500,000 for people who are not disciplined in implementing the Covid-19 health protocol. "If the public is obedient, the government does not need to impose fines. This policy is solely to increase public awareness to be disciplined in implementing health protocols in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic," said NTB Deputy Governor Sitti Rohmi Djalilah.
"Hotel Boss Denies Confinement, Accuses Singaporean Tourists of Not Paying Hotels" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): A Singaporean foreigner, Perumal Rukesh Varan, reported a villa owner from Spain, Miguel Antonio Garcia Lopez, to the South Kuta Police, claiming to be a victim of forced confinement. However, the accusation of detention was immediately denied by Baginda Sibarani, a lawyer for the villa owner. .. "He (Perumal Rukesh Varan) stayed at my client's hotel from July 10 to July 13. Then he extended it again from July 13 to July 15. Then he extended it again from July 15 to July 20, and it turns out that he is there to this day. He never paid for a hotel. The total was around Rp. 56 million as of last Saturday. To this day he is still at the hotel. There is no confinement and threats. We have the evidence," explained the lawyer.
"Klungkung Hospital Recruits 40 Covid-19 Health Workers" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian): The Klungkung Regional Umun Hospital (RSUD) is recruiting 40 health workers to be placed in the isolation room for the care of Covid-19 patients. Because positive patients with Covid-19 and suspect or People Under Supervision (PDP) are increasing. As a result, the existing medical personnel were overwhelmed because the isolation rooms were increasing... Moreover, 8 medical personnel, especially nurses in isolation rooms, have been exposed to Covid-19. To overcome this problem, the Regency Government recruited back contract workers for the Klungkung Regional Hospital. The Director of Klungkung Hospital, Dr. Nyoman Kesuma, said that the registration for the recruitment of contract workers was 24-26 August 2020 at the Klungkung Hospital. This selection is to find 30 nurses and 10 supporting staff for Covid-19 services. "We will assign 40 health workers to the Covid-19 isolation room," said Dr. Kesuma. (Ed. Note: This represents an escalation of the hospital's efforts; last weekend's announcement of the recruitment drive had been for 30 nurses.)
"Ubud Festivals Going Virtual in October to Help ‘Rebuild Bali’" from Coconuts: The virtual event, titled KEMBALI20: A Rebuild Bali Festival, will take place from Oct. 29 to Nov. 8 and is set to “bring together the most successful elements of UWRF and UFF,” referring to the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival and Ubud Food Festival... The programs — which will take place digitally — will vary from discussions, workshops, book launches, poetry readings, to children’s programs and film screenings. In addition, all of the events will be accessible globally through its donation-based sessions, while a few programs will be open to a limited audience in Bali.
"AirAsia Set to Reopen 4 Routes from Bali in September" from Coconuts: From Sep. 1, passengers can once again fly AirAsia to travel from Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport to other popular destinations in the country, such as Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and Yogyakarta... “We are working hard to gradually normalize operations for our customers’ favorite routes, starting with reopening flights from our hub in Bali to Labuan Bajo, Lombok, Yogyakarta, and Solo on Sept. 1,” Indonesia AirAsia CEO Veranita Yosephine Sinaga said.
"Komodo National Park, Labuan Bajo Reopen to Domestic Tourists, Expats" from Antara: After remaining closed for nearly six months owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the Komodo National Park (TNK) and Labuan Bajo have reopened to domestic tourists and expatriates living in Indonesia, albeit under several restrictions. No more than 25 tourists are being allowed to visit each destination per day, with the observance of health protocols. Tourists are also being asked to furnish COVID-19 rapid test results showing that they are not infected with the virus. In addition, the East Nusa Tenggara authorities are asking visitors to register online for entry tickets to Labuan Bajo through the website https://booking.labuanbajoflores.id/.
"Covid-19 Pandemic Does Not Stop Rabies Vaccination in Denpasar" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): "We continue to carry out the rabies vaccine. However, in its implementation, now we no longer impose a home system for vaccinating animals. This is due to the Covid-19 pandemic," said Head of the Denpasar City Government Agriculture Service, Gede Ambara Putra. According to him, vaccinations during this pandemic targeted stray dogs and dogs at the border as well as at tourist attractions and the coast. "We prioritize stray dogs and dogs in border areas as well as in tourist and coastal areas," he said. Currently, Denpasar has been declared rabies-free. However, rabies vaccination activities continue to be intensified on dogs.
"Gianyar Regency Builds the Largest Bottled Water Facility in Indonesia" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): The AMDK industrial building will be built on a 6,400 square meter land for the Bali Provincial Government's assets. The road access building to the spring and the intake building at the spring is built on leased land owned by the community. The spring used so far is maintained and utilized by the Bukian Traditional Village... President Director of Perumda Drinking Water Tirta Sanjiwani Made Sastra Kencana confirmed what Regent Mahayastra had said about the largest bottled drinking water in Indonesia. He said that the machines that will be used to produce bottled water by his party have a higher production system and specifications, complete dimensions and an automatic system, from processing to filling to packages.
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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