Wednesday, March 17
President Widodo endorses "Green Zone" reopening plan, says it is conditional on transmission rates + Head of Health Service says foreigners in Green Zones with KITAS/KTP eligible for vaccines + more!
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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 marks the first time since December 27 that Bali has reported fewer than 100 cases in a single day. Without testing numbers it is impossible to know whether this represents a new trend, or if it is an effect of reduced testing, tracing, and reporting due to the Nyepi holiday. Recoveries are continuing to whittle away at the Active Cases number, with all but three days this month seeing at least 200 people confirmed as being Covid-free. Deaths, however, remain stubbornly high. The running 7-day total of fatalities (51) has crept above 50 again after dipping below that level for a few days last week. The month-to-date total (110) is the third-highest of any month at this point since the start of the pandemic.
Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers.
The Big News
"Bali to Reopen Three Covid-19 Green Zones: Jokowi" from Antara: "I see that in the province of Bali we want to concentrate on three designated green zones, specifically Ubud, Sanur, and Nusa Dua. We are optimistic of these becoming green zones, green areas that we can fully open to tourists," the head of state remarked. President Jokowi highlighted his plan to conduct a weekly evaluation in the three zones specifically to review the implementation of the vaccination program and the conditions of Bali, in general.
Context: The President stopped short of declaring the Green Zone plan to be official central government policy or of laying out a plan to implement it, though he did say that it was a model that other regions could follow, and that based on vaccination schedules and assuming strict implementation of health regulations, the first visitors could return in June or July. He also hedged, saying that while he “appreciated” the Governor & regional leaders’ efforts to enforce rules that limit the spread of Covid-19, the reopening of the island to international travel will be possible only of Bali is able to reduce the risk of transmission to near zero. "If the spread of Covid-19 slopes, even disappears, we will start to open one by one, the opening in the economic sector, especially tourism in Bali Province. Currently, we have to admit that the situation is still not normal." Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno focused on the president's supportive comments and said that as Covid-19 infection rates continue to decline, preparations to reopen the island would go on with support from the central government, which would include, "apart from vaccination, including stimulus and social assistance that we will promote in 2021." There was no mention by either of Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin's declaration last week that the re-start of international tourism would probably have to wait until 2022- though Gianyar Regent Made Mahayastra said that any international visits in 2021 could be considered a “trial,” and that the “official” opening would be in 2022.
"Jokowi Comes, Data on Covid-19 Cases in Bali Immediately Drops" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): Interestingly, the arrival of the number 1 person in Indonesia to Ubud Royal Palace, Gianyar, was filled with gratitude, because the confirmed case of Covid-19 based on data from the Covid-19 Task Force in Bali also dropped. The decline can be seen from before Jokowi arrived. Namely on March 13, 2021 or the day before Nyepi, the positive number is still high, reaching 158 people. Nyepi, data is not updated. Then on the 15th or the day before Jokowi arrived, the positive number was recorded as many as 100 people. So, when Jokowi arrived on Tuesday (16/3), the data declined even further. Namely, there were 77 positive people.
"No Ban on ‘Mudik’ Homecoming Exodus This Year: Transportation Ministry" from Coconuts: Mudik, which coincides with the Eid al-Fitr holiday, sees around 30 million Indonesians visiting their hometowns annually before the pandemic. This year’s Eid holiday is expected to fall on May 13 and 14, with a collective leave day scheduled for May 12. “In principle, the Transportation Ministry is not banning [mudik]. We will coordinate with the COVID-19 Task Force about the mechanisms of the upcoming mudik. There will be a tightening [of requirements] and tracing for those who are going on mudik,” Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said.
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Other Headlines
Jokowi Visit Wrap-up
"Police Officer Dies While Securing President Jokowi's Visit to Bali" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): A police officer, Aiptu Anak Agung Gede Putra (54), died while on duty to secure President Joko Widodo's visit to Bali, Tuesday. Aiptu Anak Agung suddenly collapsed, suspected of having a heart attack. The incident began when the victim along with other security elements guarded the Catus Pata Police Post, Ubud, which is only tens of meters from the location of President Jokowi's visit to Ubud Palace. When the incident occurred, President Jokowi and several state and regional officials were inside Ubud Palace to review the implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination.
More...
"Want to see President Jokowi's visit to Bali? This is the Streaming Video Link" from Tribune Bali (Indonesian)
"President Reviews Vaccinations in Ubud" from Antara (Indonesian)
"Video of President Jokowi Reviewing Vaccinations of Tourism Business Actors in Bali" from iNews Bali (Indonesian)
"Badung Virtually Reports the Progress of Vaccination to the President" from Antara (Indonesian)
"The President Reviewed the Mass Vaccinations in Tabanan District Virtually" from Antara (Indonesian)
"The Pangdam Udayana Guarantees the President's Safety During the Visit in Bali" from Antara (Indonesian)
"Kunker, Jokowi Made a Stop at a Furniture and Handicraft Shop in Ubud" from The Bali Post (Indonesian)
Vaccination Update
"Bali Provides 340,000 Doses of Vaccine in 3 Green Zones" from Republika (Indonesian): "The plan is like that, there are 340 thousand doses of vaccine for two injections," said the Head of the Bali Province Health Service (Kadiskes), Dr. Ketut Suarjaya when contacted in Denpasar, Bali, Tuesday. He said the target recipients of the vaccine were all residents and tourism workers who worked in the Nusa Dua, Ubud and Sanur areas. Regarding vaccination against foreign tourists, Dr. Suarjaya said that only those who have a KITAS / KTP.
More...
Island: "More Than 90,000 Have Registered; Only 3,810 Bali Tourism Actors Have Been Vaccinated Against Covid-19" from Tribune Bali (Indonesian)
Island: "12 Hotels in Bali Are Ready to Be Made as Covid-19 Vaccination Sites for Tourism Workers" from Tribune Bali (Indonesian)
Badung: "Badung Targets 6,000 People to Be Vaccinated Every Day" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
Badung: "500 Bali Tourism Actors Participate in Mass Vaccines on Harris Sunset Road" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Bangli: "Captain Mudita Field Becomes Location of Mass Vaccination" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Denpasar Accelerates Vaccination of 35,000 People in the Sanur Area" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Vaccination for Denpasar Residents Has Not Reached 10% Target" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
Jembrana: "Thousands of People Join the Mass Vaccination in Jembrana" from The Bali Post (Indonesian)
Jembrana: "Covid-19 Vaccination Festival, Regent Tamba Targets 1,200 Targets Per-Day" from Bali Express (Indonesian)
Karangasem: "Thousands of Karangasem Residents Join Mass Vaccination" from The Bali Post (Indonesian)
Klungkung: "Regent Suwirta Attends Mass Vaccination at Ida Dewa Agung Budaya Kanya Center" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Klungkung: "Klungkung Police Members Participate in the Second Stage of Mass Vaccination" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
"The Finding of Baby in Alengkong, This Is the Mother's Confession" from The Bali Post (Indonesian): KM (25), who handed over a newborn girl to her sister, Ni Kasih, was interrogated by officers. KM, who allegedly gave birth alone on Saturday in the garden behind her house, intends to look after the child. According to the police chief, KM brought and handed the newborn baby to her older sibling to be safe. “There is no element of neglect or abandoning the baby. Abuse also does not exist. The proof is that shortly after being born, he was breastfed. To be safe, they were taken to her brother's place,” said Sutarjana. KM and the baby were allowed to return home from the Kintamani V Health Center.
"Hundreds of Thousands of PLN Customers in Bali Don't Pay for Electricity a Year" from The Bali Post (Indonesian): Communication Manager of PLN UID Bali, I Made Arya, said a total of 244,136 customers in Bali had received electricity stimulus for a year, 212,045 of whom were 450 VA customers and the rest were 900 VA customers who received a 50% electricity discount. "The electricity stimulus which was extended from April 2020 to March 2021 and March was extended to June 2021... Meanwhile, 900 VA customers who originally received a 50% discount on electricity, this year only received a 25% discount."
"Starting October, Lombok Will Be Visited by 7 Cruise Ships" from The Bali Post (Indonesian): As many as seven cruise ships carrying thousands of foreign tourists are scheduled to visit Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), from October to December 2021. “The schedule for visits will start in October. We obtained information on the visit schedule from the cruise ship shipping agency," said General Manager of PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) III, Sheet Baharuddin Branch. The arrival of cruise ship tourists starting October coincides with the schedule for holding the MotoGP event at the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (KEK) circuit, Central Lombok Regency. The relatively large cruise ship carries an average of 1,500 to 2,000 passengers.
"Indonesia Is Behind in Detecting New Variants of Corona Virus" from The Bali Post(Indonesian): "We have been promoting strategies for testing and tracing new variants since January, because in a year we have only produced 172 genomic sequencing tests (DNA sequencing), so that if there is a new variant it is difficult to identify, even though in some countries there have been 10,000 tests a year," said Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin. The Ministry of Health managed to detect the new British variant B117 in six regions in Indonesia. Two cases resulted from transmission in Saudi Arabia and the rest through local transmission. Based on the results of the follow-up to the potential spread of the B117 virus, Budi said, all of them had been confirmed negative. "We are tightening and reproducing sequencing genome samples by utilizing all existing laboratory networks in us and the Ministry of Research and Technology," he said.
Of Interest
"Stunning Photos Show Milky Way Above Bali During Nyepi" from Coconuts
"Many Teens Incorrectly Use Internet Connection During Nyepi, Bali KPPAD Called This" from Tribune Bali (Indonesian)
"Ceremony's Garbage Volume Dropped Drastically" from Nusa Bali (Indonesian)
"Ratna Dewi Actively Teaching Dance at the Prison, 746 Assisted Residents in Bali Received Special Remission for Nyepi" from Tribune Bali (Indonesian)
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 TheBaliBeat@outlanders.global.
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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