Wednesday, June 24
All of Denpasar now under PKM + Possible Galiran Market cluster accelerates w/102 possible cases & 250 people skipping testing appointments as Klungkung Regency adds 60 isolation beds + more!
Good morning! Welcome to the COVID-19 Update for Bali for Wednesday, June 24. Please subscribe and share it with others in the foreigner community on the island. I happily put this daily newsletter together as a public service, and it will be free so long as the current emergency lasts. *A paid subscription is NOT required to access this content.* When signing up, select the "None" option and you'll get it delivered to your Inbox each day. But if you would like to support my work, please consider taking up a voluntary subscription at US$5/month. Thanks!
Status Update
National Numbers:
Bali Numbers:
New Infections by Regency
Overall Confirmed Cases Distribution:
Key: Red = Infected | Green = Recovered | Black = Died
Bali 30-Day Trends:
More details on the locations of positive cases within each Regency, as well as the number of suspected cases ("ODP") and people under in-patient observation ("PDP"), can be found in charts & infographics on the websites of each Regency's Covid-19 Task Force:
Badung | Bangli | Buleleng | Denpasar City | Gianyar | Jembrana | Karangasem | Klungkung | Tabanan
Sources:
The national update comes from the Indonesia National Disaster Management Agency: @BNPB_Indonesia
The Bali Numbers infographic comes from the Bali Provincial Government COVID-19 Task Force (link).
The Total Confirmed Cases Distribution map & Regency Numbers figures come from the Bali Provincial Government's data collection department (link).
The 30-day trend charts have been compiled using daily government data.
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 fund 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.
The Big News
"All Villages in Denpasar Apply Activity Restrictions" from Antara (Indonesian): Denpasar’s Covid-19 Task Force has announced that all local villages within the city have officially imposed restrictions on community activities (PKM) in an effort to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. "This PKM empowers people from the lowest layers, ranging from banjars, hamlets, sekaa (groups), and communities to jointly support the prevention of the spread of Covid-19 in Denpasar City," Denpasar Mayor Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra said.
"Galiran Market Tests Continue, 102 reactive and 250 Fail to Appear for Testing" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): As part of their effort to test all 1,700 traders within Galiran Market, 409 people were tested yesterday, with 30 people showing reactive results, bringing the total to 102 traders who are undergoing secondary swab testing. However, 250 other traders did not come for their scheduled rapid tests... According to I Nengah Wenten, a trader from Tangkas Village, several of his colleagues are reluctant to take part in a rapid test because they are afraid of receiving reactive results, and that many rumors say that rapid is inaccurate. "Many say that colds are normal, the results are reactive. Sometimes healthy can be reactive. People are so afraid to take a rapid test, because it is not accurate," he said.
"Klungkung Regency Government Add Covid-19 Isolation Site" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): After monitoring the progress of the mass rapid test and sterilization of Galiran Market, Klungkung Regent, I Nyoman Suwirta, said that additional isolation spaces for Covid-19 patients have been made available at Klungkung District General Hospital. In total there are 60 rooms prepared to accommodate positive patients with Covid-19. "We have designed a number of steps to deal with COVID-19. If the number continues to increase and if something bad happens, then we will add sufficient isolation places in this hospital," he said.
Other Headlines
"Regencies in Bali Asked to Prepare Covid-19 Body Handling Teams” from Berita Bali (Indonesian): In response to the increasing number of cases of Covid-19 and the number of patients treated, Bali's Provincial Secretary, Dewa Made Indra, has asked all city & Regency governments to increase their preparedness for the handling of victims' corpses... The handling of bodies would be done by 2 teams, namely an examination team and an evacuation / funeral team. All Covid-19 referral hospitals are required to form a corpse screening team. Evacuation / burial teams are formed from elements outside the hospital.
"Gianyar Regent Threatens Spiritual Community With Closure After Controversial Crowded Event" from Coconuts: Made Gede Wisnu Wijaya, secretary of Gianyar regency, confirmed that the regent directly admonished House of Om during a meeting this morning, adding that community founder Wissam Barakeh had promised to not make the same mistake. “The presence of [the guests] were unplanned, and the regent has firmly said that if he repeated [the act], the sanction is closure [of House of Om]," Wisnu said.
"With Attractions Drawing Crowds, Police Ask Panelokan Visitors to Keep A Distance" from Radar Bali(Indonesian): In response to crowds of the last few days, and in anticipation of a boom in tourist visits, Bangli Police have deployed 136 personnel. Consisting of a combination of Bangli Regional Police and Sector Police, officers are monitoring traffic flows and giving advice to people who visit attractions in Bangli... "Our personnel place several points such as in restaurants, coffee shops along the main line of Kintamani and all attractions. We monitor to ensure that the public and hotel and restaurant management disciplines apply the Covid-19 health protocol," said Bangli Police Chief AKBP I Gusti Agung Dhana Aryawan.
"The Latest Beach Atmosphere in Bali, Is Ready New Normally?" from The IDN Times (Indonesian): The Provincial Government of Bali has so far not officially changed its decision to open a tourist site that was temporarily closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But it seems that little by little the Badung Regency Government is giving concessions to the policy... The impact of this policy is the easing of activities at two beaches for foreign surfers, namely Canggu Beach and Labuan Sait Beach. Had reaped the pros and cons of this policy, but did not dampen the enthusiasm of visitors and tourism actors in the region. "Yes, actually the government has not. But we open it little by little. We give a chance, as long as according to the protocol to wear a mask. So that the guests will not be stressed, "said one of the entrance guards at the location whose name asked to be withheld.
Non-Covid News of Note
"After Video of Foreigners Sitting in Temple in Mengwi Circulates On Social Media, PHDI Asks Temple Guards to Contact Police" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): Chairman of Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia Bali (PHDI), Prof. Dr. I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana, said that he was very sorry because events like this continue to occur repeatedly. "This means that we have not been able to take experience from past events. All parties should participate in how to maintain the sanctity of the temple," he said. We ask the pengempon of the temple to complain to the security forces, expressing their objection that there are guests doing things like this. We will look for where this guest lives, and who invites to be called by the police, because this is negligence," he said.
"Pressing the Spread of Rabies, Jembrana Regency Government Holds Mass Vaccination" from Bali Express (Indonesian): Vaccinations were administered to hundreds of community dogs in Mendoyo Dauh Tukad village, which has been classified as a "Rabies red zone" area along with Tuwed Village and Sangkaragung Village... Head of the Jembrana Agriculture and Food Service, I Wayan Sutama, said that the current population of dogs in Jembrana has reached 46,955. Of the total population, only 42,082 animals - 89.62% - can be vaccinated. As for the bite cases over the past two years (2018-2019) the trend has increased. Even in 2020, there have been 4 cases of bite cases which have been stated positive.
"Narcotics Cases in Bali Increase 5% During Covid-19" from Antara (Indonesian): "When compared with the previous year, the increase this year is 5 percent. In 2019 there were 362 cases and in 2020 there were 381 cases," said Brigadier General Pol Putu Gede Suastawa. In January there were 106 cases, a drop of 27% from 2019; February 74 cases, or down 3%; in March there were 79 cases, up 13%; in April there were 67 cases, up 5%; and in May there were 55 cases, down 20%, bringing the total to 381 cases... "The reason for this increase is because there are those who work from home, then the situation is laid off and stays at home. So the dealer is free, there is no pressure from anyone, then the people in this house are more addictive, the demand is high, and the dependency is higher," he said.
Resources
Important information for foreigners who are staying on the island, such as designated COVID-19 hospitals and emergency contact numbers, can be found by following this link.
The government has cancelled its visa-on-arrival process and rolled out enhanced entry requirements for people traveling to Indonesia; they have also granted automatic extensions to most foreigners who are still in the country on temporary stay visas. You can see a (translated) list of all of the relevant regulations on the Directorate General of Immigration & Ministry of Law and Human Rights' website here.
Local travel website Traveloka has a helpful page with a summary of what’s needed to travel to and within the country. You can also order a rapid test or swab (PCR) test via their platform: Link
The British Embassy in Jakarta has recently posted a great summary of the Indonesian government's travel restrictions on their Facebook page. You can read it here.
The EU has launched a website to help travelers stay informed about how member states will be accelerating the reopening of their borders. Through the “EU Re-open” website, travelers can enter the name of the country they wish to visit and find out the rules that will apply after each place's coronavirus lockdown. Information on the EU Re-open website and app will continue to be updated in line with the developments of the coronavirus pandemic.
If you are trying to plan travel anywhere, here are some of the best up-to-date resources that can help you:
IATA Travel Center Update - The International Air Transport Association is the global lobbying body for the aviation industry. Their Travel Information Manual Automatic (Timatic) database feeds into airlines' reservation systems, so it is the most reliable list of flight restrictions around.
Revolver Maps' Travel Restrictions Database - This list pulls directly from IATA's Timatic database and arranges the countries in lists that are easier to navigate and creates share-able links for every country. NOTE: This is a third-party service and they warn that the updates to their system can be delayed by several hours for certain countries.
Al Jazeera Travel Restriction & Border Shutdown Tracker - A companion list that includes less technical summaries of each country's travel restrictions, beyond just flights and airport access.
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 will polish the excerpt and/or write a short summary in proper English to help clarify the details.
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