Wednesday, October 7
Child infections on rise in Denpasar + Fines for not wearing masks making a comeback + Labor bill garners protests, international condemnation + Monkey hordes descend on Karangasem village + more!
Good morning! Welcome to The Bali Beat for Wednesday, October 7. If you’re not a subscriber, sign up here to get this update delivered directly to your Inbox every Monday-Saturday 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 foreigner community on the island 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: Click here to see the national numbers infographic and a Regency-by-Regency breakdown of yesterday’s local numbers.
The Big News
"During Pandemic, 55 Children in Denpasar Exposed to Covid-19" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): "From March to October there have been 55 children," said Dewa Gede Rai, spokesman for the Covid-19 Denpasar Task Force. Dozens of children aged 0-5 years, mostly contracted Covid-19 from their families. They are part of a family cluster that has spread in Denpasar. Seeing the many cases of Covid-19 that have afflicted toddlers, he asked Denpasar residents to be careful, especially those with children.
(Ed. Note: While cases of severe symptoms or death associated with Covid-19 are rare for children, the risks are not zero- especially in developing countries. Young people with underlying conditions are at increased risk for severe illness. There is also a chance that infected kids can develop the still-not-well-understood multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Furthermore, studies have shown that children older than 9 years old can be asymptomatic carriers of the virus and transmit it at the same rates as adults. To learn more, check out this summary from Harvard Health Publishing & this discussion with the U.S. National Institute of Health’s Director of Child Health and Human Development; and for an overview of how Covid-19 is affecting children on a global scale, read this report from UNICEF.)
"A Fine of Rp. 100,000 to Be Applied If You Do Not Use A Mask in Karangasem" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): After the Karangasem Regency Government has distributed hundreds of thousands of masks to the people of Karangasem Regency, Satpol PP Karangasem, together with the TNI / Polri, held an inspection to check for the use of masks in a number of roads in Karangasem Regency. This time, the sanctions will no longer be just a warning or administrative sanction, but also fines for violators who do not wear masks... "What we are doing now is that we are subject to fines, there are also administrative sanctions, there are also warnings or guidance. The criteria are clear if those who do not bring masks will be fined Rp. 100,000," explained Head of the Karangasem District Civil Service Police Unit, I Wayan Sutapa. "There is no more reason for the community not to use masks," he said.
(Ed. Note: This story about a mask patrol at Batubolong in Canggu yesterday noted that there were 24 violations, but there was no word on whether anyone was fined. The photo accompanying the story appeared to show two foreigners sweeping up litter under the eye of police. While it is common for the authorities to mete out physical or public service tasks as sanctions in lieu of cash fines, it is not clear if the women in the photo were being punished for violating health protocols.)
"Labor Unions Strike, Stage Rallies to Oppose Controversial New Jobs Law" from The Jakarta Post: Labor unions and civil society organizations across the archipelago have staged nationwide protests and strikes to oppose the newly passed Job Creation Law, demanding the House of Representatives revoke the controversial law feared to infringe on workers’ rights. The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) said that around 2 million workers representing 32 labor unions would take part in mass rallies and strikes in various cities for several days... Thousands of workers in Pulogadung Industrial Complex in East Jakarta staged a protest opposing the jobs law in front of their respective factories on Tuesday morning. In Bandung, West Java, thousands of workers from various labor unions rallied at the Bandung Legislative Council compound and City Hall on Tuesday morning.
(Ed. Note: International condemnation of the new law has been swift and stark. Amnesty International has denounced it, which you can read more about here. For more context on what changes the bill includes and why labor & environmental groups oppose it, check out this piece. There were no reports of demonstrations in Bali yesterday, but according to this story, the head of the Bali Regional Independent Workers Union Federation reiterated his group's opposition to the bill and said that workers on the island had effectively been "on strike" since April thanks to the shutdowns caused by Covid-19.)
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Other Headlines
"Covid-19 Patients Without Symptoms and Mild Symptoms in Buleleng Have Begun Evacuating to Provincial Isolation Facilities" from Bali Puspa News (Indonesian): As of Tuesday, the number of patients to be dispatched is 15 of the 26 Covid-19 patients with asymptomatic (OTG) or mild symptom (GR) status in Buleleng. All patients who will be dispatched will go directly to the centralized self-quarantine provided by the Bali Provincial Government. Secretary of Buleleng's Covid-19 Task Force, said that evacuation to the independent quarantine facility provided by the Province was carried out because no hotels within the regency would agree to accommodate the patients. "In Buleleng, there is no one willing. Rules state that the hotel must be two- or three-stars. While in Buleleng there is none. Yesterday the one who was approached was closed. If it is reopened, it requires high operational costs," he explained.
"RI Loses 130 Doctors, 92 Nurses to COVID-19: IDI" from The Jakarta Post: The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) announced on Saturday that 130 doctors had died of COVID-19. According to the IDI data, 67 of the fallen doctors were general practitioners, 61 were specialist doctors and two were residents. Nine of them were also professors. Physician deaths were reported from IDI branches in 18 provinces and 61 regencies. Dentists and nurses have also lost their lives to the coronavirus.
"Wayan Serinah Appointed Acting Regent of Karangasem" from Bali Express (Indonesian): Head of the Bali Provincial Government Organization Bureau, I Wayan Serinah, has been appointed as Acting Regent of Karangasem, in accordance with the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Decree (SK) Number 131.51-3704 of 2020. His term of office is until December 5, 2020. Serinah will temporarily lead the running of the government in Karangasem while the definitive regent, I GA Mas Sumatri, and the definitive deputy regent, Wayan Artha Dipa, are on leave outside the state's responsibility for participating in the election campaign.
"Tourist Attractions in Denpasar Are Still Open; Visitor Restrictions Based On Parking Lots" from The Bali Tribune (Indonesian): Head of the Denpasar City Tourism Office, MA Dezire Mulyani, said that although they were not closed, the capacity of tourist spots has been limited to half of their capacity. "Until now, there are no restrictions on tourist attractions, only the capacity of tourist attractions is limited. For example, the capacity of 200 is limited to 100 people,” said Dezire.
"Hundreds of Mountain Monkeys Damage Local Plants" from Radar Bali (Indonesian): Apart from frightening residents, the presence of hundreds of mountain monkeys is also disturbing for farmers, especially those who live around the slopes of Bukit Gunung Sari, Banjar Dinas Juuk Legi, Duda Timur, Selat, Karangasem. These monkeys are not only disturbing the settlements, but hundreds of these monkeys also destroy a number of plantation crops such as salak, cloves, manga and other plants... Almost every day hundreds of mountain monkeys descend on the settlements. There are three groups of monkeys when they gather to hunt for food. Even when entering the residential area, the mountain monkey hordes seemed to be in charge. "They are like being commanded. If one group meets another, they seem to clash,” said local resident I Ketut Antara.
"Panel of Judges at Denpasar District Court Rule That Jerinx Trial Can Be Held Offline" from iNews Bali (Indonesian): The Panel of Judges at the Denpasar District Court (PN) gave the opportunity for the trial of the defendant I Gede Ary Astina, alias Jerinx, to be held face-to-face. The panel of judges gave this opportunity to examine witnesses and defendants. Consideration was based on the purpose of the trial which was to seek material truth as determined in the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP). In addition, the panel of judges saw that the legal basis for implementing online trials by the Supreme Court was also not imperative. "The decision of the panel of judges was not meant to fulfill the defendant's request, but was based on the considerations stated earlier," said head of the judge panel, Ida Ayu Nyoman Adnya Dewi. (Ed. Note: As has happened almost every day that Jerinx has appeared in court, police broke up a protest held by his supporters outside the courthouse. Read more on that here.)
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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