Wednesday, March 3
President Widodo reinstitutes ban on investment in liquor industry + Spike in crime spurs island police to issue warning + More infectious B117 Covid variant detected in country + more!
Good morning! Welcome to The Bali Beat for Wednesday, March 3. 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 was the third day out of the last four where Bali has reported fewer than 170 new cases. Also, recoveries have outpaced new infections for 22 out of last 30 days. Has the island turned a corner? This week will tell.
Deaths are another matter, though. Yesterday's total remained elevated. February had more deaths (239) than the previous most-deadly month, September (207), ⬆️15%. But if you count the last 30-day span (Feb. 1 - Mar. 2, 255 fatalities) it's ⬆️23%. Deaths are a lagging indicator, so we could see these levels continue for another week or two, regardless of whether the new infection numbers remain relatively low.
Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers. Also, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has released its monthly update on the country’s Covid-19 response. You can find it here.
The Big News
"President Jokowi Shuts Tap on Alcoholic Production Investment Amid Pressure From Religious Groups" from Coconuts: President Joko Widodo has revoked a Presidential Regulation (Perpres) putting alcoholic production in the country’s positive investments list, following outcry from religious groups in the Muslim majority country. As part of the 2020 Job Creation Law, Jokowi signed Perpres no. 10/2021 on Feb. 2, 2021 opening up the local alcohol industry, specifically those in Bali, Papua, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), and Sulawesi, to domestic and foreign investment. The industry was previously a closed business sector. But Indonesia’s largest and most influential Islamic groups lambasted the Perpres, as they rejected the idea of alcohol tarnishing Indonesia’s image in the Islamic world.
Context: Reaction to this decree was swift in Bali. Closing off the domestic alcohol sector to investment flies in the face of Governor Koster’s plans to build the island’s Arak industry. In a statement, he said that he drinks Arak every morning with his coffee, but did not directly criticize the President’s move. Instead, he noted that 92% of the alcohol consumed on the island - which mostly serves the tourism sector - was imported, generating Rp. 7 trillion in excise taxes. He also said that local Arak distillers would still be able to produce and sell the drink by forming cooperatives. Owners of those local businesses were disappointed. Some offered tepid optimism that since alcohol had not been banned completely there seemed to be a recognition of Arak’s place in the cultural heritage of Bali, while others openly lamented the loss of income that reduced investment would mean. On the other hand, conservative politicians were upset that Jokowi did not go further and ban alcohol entirely.
"Bali Police Say People Should Stay at Home as Crime Rate Rises" from Coconuts: Djuhandhani Rahardjo Puro, director of the general crimes unit at the Bali Police, revealed that at least 18 crimes took place across the province in the past week, ranging from motorbike theft to fraud. He also said 34 cases were reported the week prior and that most of these crimes happened between 2pm and 10pm. “As we lessen going out for things that are not too important, we will also avoid crimes of course, eliminating opportunities for people with bad intentions,” Bali Police Chief Putu Jayan Danu Putra said yesterday, adding that more officers are being deployed for regular patrols.
"Indonesia Enters One Year of Covid-19 with Two New Variant Cases" from The Jakarta Globe: he Health Ministry recently announced the new coronavirus B117 variant — which was first detected in the UK — has entered Indonesia, one year since the country confirmed its first two Covid-19 cases. "Last year, we detected case 1 and 2 of Covid-19. Last night, exactly a year [after the first two cases], we detected the B117 UK mutation in Indonesia. This is fresh from the oven. We have found two cases last night," Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono said. CNN Indonesia reported the government had earlier analyzed the aforementioned 462 samples using the whole genome sequencing (WGS). The provinces which submitted the most samples were Jakarta, West Java, East Java, Banten, and Yogyakarta.
Context: Viruses - like every call-based organism - can experience errors as they make copies of themselves. These errors, or mutations, can result in new traits, some of which can effect the way that the virus attacks cells, floats through the air, or is shaped. These changes can effect the virus’ ability to spread or the body’s ability to recognize and fight it off. The most recent research estimates that the B117 strain of Covid-19, more commonly known as the “UK variant,” is 30%-50% more infectious than the most common strain, meaning that it can spread much more quickly. It has not yet shown to be any more lethal, however. The major vaccines that are being rolled out in Indonesia, including Sinovac, AstraZeneca-Oxford, and Pfizer-BioNTech, have been shown in initial trials to retain their efficacy against this strain. Thanks to the method used to develop these vaccines, which uses mRNA instead of a cultured live virus at its core, developers have said that they should be able to quickly design and produce booster shots for variants as the need arises.
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Other Headlines
"Accommodation Services, Entertainment Are Prohibited From Promoting Silent Day Branding" from Bali Express (Indonesian): Ida Panglingsir, head of the Bali Province Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) explained that accommodation services and entertainment service providers are prohibited from selling packages filled with the branding for the holy day of Nyepi. The move is said to anticipate the holy day being used as a commercial tool and tarnishing the holy day. "The goal is so that Nyepi is not used by commercial tools, and there should not be, for example, the Nyepi package for hotels and entertainment. In fact, Nyepi must carry out Catur Brata Panyepian. The hotel is open please, but don't use the term Nyepi package. For entertainment during Nyepi 24 hours it is prohibited," he said.
"After Independent Isolation, OTG Covid-19 Patients Don't Need Swab Tests, Dewa Rai: It Has Been Declared Cured" from Tribune Bali (Indonesian): According to a Covid-19 OTG patient who did not want to be named, said that after he finished doing independent isolation at his house, the local Puskesmas did not facilitate swab after carrying out independent isolation activities. The Puskesmas will only provide a health certificate and have finished monitoring the OTG... When confirmed, Dewa Gede Rai as the spokesperson for the Denpasar City Covid-19 Handling Acceleration Task Force said that if the OTG had been isolated after 14 days it would be cured. "After 14 days, he has been declared cured if he has no symptoms. If he has fever or difficulty breathing, he will be taken to the hospital. If he has no symptoms, being healthy is enough with 14 days of isolation at home and after that he continues to run the prokes," he said.
Health Protocols (Prokes) & Patrols
"Breaking the Chain of Spread of Covid-19, Polda Will Form a Team to Hunt Prokes Violators" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): The team that was formed consisted of TNI personnel, Satpol PP, Pecalang and Bali Police personnel who were involved in the Nusa II Safe Operation. Regarding the technical implementation in the field, Karo Ops Polda Bali, Kombes Pol. Firman Nainggolan, SHMH, said that the prokes-hunting team would move according to the target given by the Bali Police Ops Bureau. The target target will be delivered every day at the morning apple at 08.00 WITA. "Determination of these targets is not arbitrary and is based on the results of the post anev. Where the locations where Covid cases are still increasing, this task force will carry out socialization activities, provide appeals and justify operations," he explained.
More...
Badung: "Handling Covid-19, Bali Police's Nusa II Safe Operation is Extended" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Denpasar: "Denpasar Yustisi Team Nets 11 Prokes Violators" from The Bali Post (Indonesian)
Vaccination Update
"120,000 Vaccine Doses Required to Turn Nusa Dua, Ubud Into ‘Green Zones’: Governor" from Coconuts: Koster explained that a total of 120,000 vaccine doses will be required to inoculate the population and workers in the two areas, and said that his administration aims to finish the vaccination phase of this plan by this month, before potentially reopening to domestic tourism later in May. Indonesians from other parts of the country are not prohibited from visiting Bali at this time, though they are required to present either a negative PCR or antigen rapid test result, depending on the mode of transportation, to reach the province. In regards to the “free COVID-19 corridor” plan, however, it seems that domestic tourists will serve as subjects in trial runs before potentially opening up to foreign tourists.
More...
Nation: "Fifth Batch of Sinovac Vaccine Arrives in Indonesia" from Antara
Nation: "Development of Red and White Vaccine Almost 100% Complete" from The Bali Post (Indonesian)
Island: "Patients Who Have Been Positive for Covid-19 Can Be Vaccinated" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Island: "The Covid-19 Tracer Starts Simultaneously, Kodam IX / Udayana Is Ready To Inject 1,000 Doses Of Vaccines For The Bali Region" from Tribune Bali (Indonesian)
Island: "Public Transportation Drivers in Bali Start Getting the Covid-19 Vaccine" from Bisnis Bali (Indonesian)
Buleleng: "Prepared Vaccines for Traders in Buleleng" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Jembrana: "In Jembrana, There Is No Covid-19 Vaccine [Side] Effect" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
Klungkung: "Second Phase Covid-19 Vaccination, Klungkung Local Government Allocates 2,300 Doses of Covid-19 Vaccine" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian)
"Denpasar City Government Has Prepared 90 Rooms in the Hotel for OTG-GR" from Antara (Indonesian): The Denpasar City Government has prepared a hotel in the Denpasar area with 90 units of rooms that can accommodate a maximum of 180 patients. One hotel room can accommodate two patients. The financing for the hotel as a place of isolation for people without symptoms and mild symptoms (OTG-GR) purely uses the Denpasar City APBD. The Denpasar City Government also plans to isolate OTG-GR by using boarding houses. This follows the suspension of fees for quarantine hotels by the center. Isolation by utilizing this boarding house will work together with the village/kelurahan.
Tourism Figures
"Ngurah Rai Airport Serves 157,000 Passengers During February 2021, Most During Chinese New Year" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): "In February 2021 we have served 157,172 passengers and 2,340 aircraft with an average of 28 days of 5,613 passengers and 84 aircraft movements per day and the highest frequency at the moment of the Chinese New Year, February 11-14, 2021." said General Manager of PT Angkasa Pura I Ngurah Rai Airport, Herry AY Sikado. He said, during the Chinese New Year on February 11-14, domestic passengers entering Bali reached 13,660 people. The number of aircraft movements to Ngurah Rai Airport reached 187 flights.
More...
"The Number of Flights and Ship Departures From Bali in January 2021 Has Decreased" from Tribune Bali (Indonesian)
"Two Months, The Movement Of Passengers And Aircraft At Ngurah Rai Airport Dropped Drastically Compared To 2020" from Bali Prawara (Indonesian)
"International Flights Not Opened for Foreign Tourists Yet: Hartarto" from Antara: Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, has said Indonesia has still not opened all international flight routes, particularly for foreign tourists, this year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Domestic tourists are serving as our PR, and we hope the vaccination program can help us achieve herd immunity as 70 million people are expected to be vaccinated by the middle of the year. That will be a game-changer for the tourism sector,” he remarked.
"Difficulty Paying Employee Salaries, Badung Asking for Help to the Center" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): The Badung Regency Government has tens of thousands of Civil Servants as well as non-PNS Employees. It is even estimated that before the Covid-19 pandemic, the total salary of employees in Badung was IDR 717 billion a year. So far, the Badung Regency Government has subsidized the salaries of these employees and during this pandemic, Badung began to struggle. Even the Regent of Badung, I Nyoman Giri Prasta wrote to the central government to provide additional General Allocation Fund (DAU) which aims to meet the salary needs of employees in the Badung Regency Government. "Hopefully, according to the needs of civil servants in Badung, [we] will get assistance," he explained.
Of Interest
"Billions of Rupiah Losses Due to Rain and Strong Winds in Klungkung" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
"Bad Weather, Price of Chili in Bali Out of Control, a Kilo of IDR 100,000" from Radar Bali (Indonesian)
"2 Foreigners in Bali Submit Requests to Become Indonesian Citizens, Asked to Sing the Song Indonesia Raya" from iNews Bali (Indonesian)
"March Electricity Stimulus Is Ready, Now You Can Enjoy It Through PLN Mobile" from Bali Prawara (Indonesian)
"MX GP Circuit Prepared 36 Hectares" from The Bali Post
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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