Wednesday, January 27
As island smashes single-day infection record & country passes 1 million cases, Badung Police vow no more warnings for prokes violators + Minister says 179k people vaccinated in first week + more!
Good morning! Welcome to The Bali Beat for Wednesday, January 27. If you’re not a subscriber, sign up here to get this update delivered directly to your Inbox every Monday-Friday 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 island community 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 Bali smashed its all-time record for new cases confirmed on a single day, with cases in Denpasar & Badung making up over 60% of the total. Over the last 7 days alone, the island has seen more new cases (2,563) than has been seen in any entire month except December (3,718), September (3,671), and October (2,886). It is also much more than all of the cases from April, May, and Jun combined (1,474). This spike has occurred island-wide, with all but three districts classified as Red Zones and Klungkung, Karangasem, and Buleleng sitting at the Orange Zone level. The (slightly) good news is that deaths so far this month (127) are probably not going to hit the levels seen in the worst month, September (207). The fatality rate then was 5.27%; it's 1.88% for January as of today, reflecting increases in testing and the detection of many asymptomatic cases.
Nationally, Indonesia passed 1 million cases confirmed so far, becoming the first Southeast Asian country to reach that mark. The total number of new infections yesterday (13,094) was not a new record, but it was very close to it. The number of fatalities (336), however, was a new high mark.
Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers.
The Big News
"Officials Will Take Firm Action Against Offenders at PPKM Phase II" from The Bali Post (Indonesian): Badung Police Chief AKBP Roby Septiadi said PPKM II efforts no longer prioritizes coaching, but takes firm action against the Cobid-19 health protocols (prokes). "Efforts to suppress Covid-19 have been carried out but the result is that the coronavirus cases are even more massive," he said.
Context: This new stance comes in addition to a recent declaration from Governor Koster that, going forward, businesses and institutions should “not serve foreigners who did not wear masks.” This was clarified later by Eko Budianto, Head of the Immigration Division of the Bali's Ministry of Law and Human Rights Regional Office, to mean that foreigners who “repeatedly” do not follow health protocols can be deported. See below for a wrap-up of yesterday’s health protocol enforcement actions.
"179,000 Indonesians vaccinated Against COVID-19 So Far: Hartarto" from Antara: Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto has revealed that 179,000 out of the 1.48 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across Indonesia as of January 25, 2021. He said the first phase of the free COVID-19 vaccine program, which will last from January to April, 2021, will target 1.3 million medical workers, 17.4 million public service officers, and 21.5 million senior citizens. The second phase of the program, which will be conducted from April, 2021 to March, 2022, will cover 63.9 million vulnerable people living in areas with the highest risk of COVID-19 transmission and another 77.4 million people.
Hospital Capacity Update
"Covid-19 Cases in Bali Soar, the Isolation Room of Sanglah Hospital & Wangaya Hospital in Denpasar Are Still Sufficient" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): As of today, the total number of active cases or patients under treatment is 3,186 people. When confirmed, two Covid-19 referral hospitals, namely Sanglah Hospital and Wangaya Hospital, said that today there are additional Covid-19 patients being treated. The Head of Public Relations at Sanglah Hospital, Dewa Ketut Kresna, said that there are 122 more positive Covid-19 patients being treated at Sanglah Hospital. "And the availability of beds and isolation rooms is still sufficient for Covid-19 patients. Meanwhile, at Wangaya Hospital, the total number of Covid-19 patients who just arrived today is 40 people. When confirmed, Agung Suastika as the Head of Public Relations at the Wangaya Hospital said that the total beds for Covid-19 patients were still available. "The total hospitalized today is 40 people. There are 50 beds in Wangaya Hospital. So there are 10 more beds available," said Agung.
"Sufficient Capacity of the Covid-19 Karangasem Patient Isolation Room" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
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Other Headlines
"The Government Needs to Prepare IDR 1 Trillion More to Finance Lockdown in Bali" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): Chairman of the Parliament of Gianyar, I Wayan Tagel Winarta, has proposed a Bali lockdown and implementing it at the moment of the Nyepi celebration on March 14. Related to the proposed lockdown, he has also estimated the costs that the government must spend to finance basic needs such as basic necessities for residents during the lockdown. "In the case of Bali lockdown, we expect the community to be covered with basic necessities for 14 days," said Tagel. If the cost of eating per person for a day, assuming that you cook yourself at home, you need funds of IDR 20,000. So with the proposed 14 days (two weeks) lockdown , the costs that must be paid for the needs of the residents are IDR 280 thousand per person. "If the total population of Bali is 4 million, it means that it will cost around Rp. 1,120 trillion. That's just for the cost of food for 14 days," he said... "Now all parties have tried. The task force has gone, the police, the TNI have all moved. Nevertheless, Covid cases are increasing," he explained. "Now the extension [of PPKM] is until February 8th. If Covid doesn't expire on the 8th, what can we do ?” he asked. So, this lockdown proposal came out as a last resort. "Try to do the last formula, namely lockdown. Instead of [dragging out] for years," he said.
Context: Currently, this idea to put the entire island into strict lockdown for 2 weeks is just an idea that has been floated by the head of Gianyar’s legislature. However, since his announcement of his proposal on Monday, it has generated a lot of media coverage and discussion online, with various government officials being asked to weigh in on it. As of this morning there has been no word from the governor’s office as to whether this option is being seriously considered.
Yesterday’s Prokes Patrols
In addition to the warning given by Badung’s police chief (see above), Bali’s provincial police gave summaries of how many sanctions had been given out to people and businesses during the first 2 weeks of the “semi-lockdown” (PPKM). There’s also an interesting note about a village-level, half-day Nyepi observation that could provide a glimpse of what a full lockdown situation might look like.
"BPBD Bali: 376 People Were Fined During PPKM" from Antara (Indonesian)
"Bali Ordered 321 Businesses During the First Stage of PPKM" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian)
Jembrana: "The Justisi Operation Team in Bali Give Sweeping Sanctions for Violators of Health Protocols" from Antara (Indonesian)
Bangli: "Prokes Violators in Bali Can Be Punished With Fines Up to a Push Up" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar:"Breaking PPKM Operational Hours, Task Force Reprimands Warung Owners" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Karangasem: "Peladung Traditional Village Holds Nyepi for 10 Hours" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
"Covid-19 Cases Are Increasing & There Is a Java-Bali PPKM, the Planned Travel Bubble Is Threatened With Being Canceled" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): To stimulate international tourism in Bali, especially Badung, the central government plans to implement a Travel bubble. However, the Travel Bubble which is planned to be carried out is in danger of being canceled, because the covid-19 case is getting worse. The chairman of PHRI Badung, IGN Rai Suryawijaya, when confirmed, did not deny this. The 5 countries being explored were Australia, China, Korea, Japan and the Middle East. "Initially the plan to open international tourism with the scheme was discussed in the first quarter of early 2021. However, it seems that it cannot yet be implemented, because cases are increasing," he said. "Apart from our high covid-19 cases, other countries like Australia also have the potential not to fully open international borders until 2022. Likewise with China which has not opened its borders and is likely to implement the policy until September 2021," he explained.
"Pressing Covid, the Task Force Asks for Rapid Antigen from Marriage Candidates" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): Various efforts have been made by the Klungkung Regency Covid-19 Task Force to reduce the spread of Covid-19. The head of the Klungkung Covid-19 Task Force, Nyoman Suwirta, encouraged the prospective bride and groom to carry out rapid antigen before carrying out the wedding ceremony procession. As is known, the addition of positive cases of Covid-19 in Klungkung is one of them from traditional ceremonies. Wedding ceremony, one of them. "Perbekel will later be able to inform the Health Office if any of its residents are married to receive rapid antigen. Remembering that the wedding procession involved residents in two different areas," he explained.
Of Interest
"Jakarta Police Arrest Lab Employees for Forging Negative PCR Test Results" from Coconuts
"Today, the Former Treasurer of the Bali Provincial Secretariat Is on Trial in Connection With Corruption" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian)
The View from Outside
"Covid Patients Turned Away as Hospitals in Indonesia Face Collapse" from The Guardian: Health experts in Indonesia have warned that hospitals in some areas are on the brink of collapse as the nation passed one million confirmed cases of coronavirus. In one case, a man died after he was turned away from 10 hospitals, including three in Jakarta, with doctors under greater strain that an any time in the pandemic. Halik Malik, a spokesman for the Indonesian Doctors Association, said that in several regions patients had faced difficulties accessing Covid-19 intensive care units and isolation rooms, due to a rise in demand. “It seems that the current overload or overcapacity situation is the worst during the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia,” he added.
"Grim Milestone for Indonesia as Coronavirus Cases Pass 1 Million Mark" from Reuters: The world’s fourth-most-populous country has recorded 1,012,350 cases, with the average daily increase running above 11,000 for more than a week, according to official data. Its deaths from the respiratory disease now total 28,468. Those figures are among the highest in Asia and almost double the number of infections as its neighbour the Philippines, which up until October was reporting more cases than Indonesia. Health experts believe the true spread of the virus in Indonesia could be three times higher. Authorities have been criticised for low testing and tracing rates, and for focusing vaccines at the expense of better enforcing health protocols, which are less strict than in most countries.
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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