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Image: A new SOS donation fridge is set up in Banjar Semer. Credit: IG sos.indonesia1

The Bali COVID-19 Task Force chief, Dewa Made Indra said last night in their regular televised press conference that he had heard many times the proposal that Bali should implement a lock down (PSBB), including proposals coming from the customary villages (banjar) in Denpasar. However, the task force does not agree.

“We have long heard these arguments and of course the Bali provincial government and task force will certainly consider them,” he said in a press statement on Tuesday (4/21).

“If you only see the positive case numbers,” continued Dewa Indra, “150 according to the last update is indeed a large number. However, the majority or 82.67 percent are imported cases, principally from people with a travel history from abroad.”

Namely, the flow of returning Indonesian migrant workers. “This cannot be affected by a PSBB. The PSBB, or lock down is super tight and unwarranted in regard our brothers coming home,” he explained.

According to Indra, who is also the Secretary of the Bali provincial government, the PSBB can only help in the case of local transmissions, which at present has a percentage of 17.33 percent of the total cases.

And that’s not only from Denpasar, but throughout Bali. “So in regard to Denpasar City, looking at this then it is not sufficient to implement a PSBB policy,” he added.

Dewa Indra again emphasized that the government, worked with a full strategy and calculated all risks and needs in the field. Until now there has not been an urgent need in the field to implement a PSBB.

ABK dies in the US.

A Balinese cruise ship crew member, I Putu Sugiartha, 42, died at a Fort Lauderdale hospital in the United States on Sunday (19/4). The man, who was based in Sading Village, Mengwi District, worked as a crew member on the Oasis of the Sea Cruise Ship according to Bali Express.

Police kitchen

Badung Police Chief, Commissioner Roby Septiadi and Badung Deputy Police Chief, Commander Ni Putu Utariani, lead a joint cooking team in a public kitchen built by the Badung Police in Beringkit Market, Mengwi District, yesterday, Tuesday (21/4) morning. They handed out 500 packets of mixed rice. “We know this is not enough, however, we hope that the wrapped rice will be able to help with adequate nutrition today (yesterday), “said Commissioner Roby. The food ingredients were supplied from donations.

SOS Food Rescue Foundation

Yesterday, 21 April 2020, SOS officially launched their 4th Community Fridge at Home Delicatessen Bali in Semer (opposite Elite Havens). “We would like to say thank you to our partners and everyone who’s involved in this program and makes it bigger day to day. Until now, from our three community fridges, we’ve already received more than 300 kgs of food donations and delivered to people or communities in need around Bali,” said Katrina from SOS this morning. The food is processed and delivered to communities from Denpasar, Canggu, Sesetan, Dalung, Kuta, and further afield, Klungkung and Karangasem. They are in need of more food every day. The three other locations are at Papaya Fresh Gallery – Kuta, Poule De Luxe – Batu Belig and Cafe Smorgas – Sanur. More details: www.instagram.com/sos.indonesia1/

Lebaran

Related to President Jokowi’s decision yesterday to prohibit Indonesia’s Muslim community from going home for Idul Fitri (May 23, 2020) and the Lebaran holidays, the Bali parliament DPRD asked all parties to support the president’s decision. At the end of the fasting period of Ramadan (which starts tomorrow, April 23 and runs for a month), Muslim residents normally return to their home villages for celebrations and holidays. The government feels this to be too risky in regard to the spread of Covid-19. The Bali regional police has been urged to take strict action and guard the crossings at a number of ports around Bali. The Chairperson of the Bali DPRD, Nyoman Adi Wiryatama, said that if the Bali police did not act with the TNI, the ban would not be heeded. “Therefore, the government feels the army and police will have to guard the president’s decision regarding the prohibition of going home,” he told NusaBali.