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Two dolphins that were rescued from a captive facility in Bali have died after their health deteriorated, the province’s NatHundreds of foreigners departed Bali over the weekend, some with chartered flights organized by their respective Hundreds of foreigners departed Bali over the weekend, some with chartered flights organized by their respective ural Resources governments, following flight cancelations across the globe governments, following flight cancelations across the globe Conservation Center (BKSDA) revealed, following demands for answers from activists who reported amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The Ngurah Rai Immigration office said in a statement that over 200 foreigners, consisting mostly of German nationals, boarded a chartered German Airlines flight on Saturday headed for Frankfurt, while over 400 passengers consisting of mostly French amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The Ngurah Rai Immigration office said in a statement that over 200 foreigners, consisting mostly of German nationals, boarded a chartered German Airlines flight on Saturday headed for Frankfurt, while over 400 passengers consisting of mostly French the porpoises nationals headed to France with Qatar Airways on the same nationals headed to France with Qatar Airways on the same missing. day. In addition, Austrian Airlines also reportedly carried day. In addition, Austrian Airlines also reportedly carried Related - Activists over 200 passengers back to Austria. over 200 passengers back to Austria. say dolphins rescued from captivity in Bali are missing Foreign missions in Indonesia have Foreign missions in Indonesia have actively used social actively used social Sumarsono, who heads a conservation department at BKSDA Bali, told local news outlets yesterday that the dolphins were already sick when they were rescued, having lived under abusive conditions at the Dolphin Lodge. “We saw that the eyes were a bit yellowish, because they media to assist their respective citizens. As fewer flights become available media to assist their respective citizens. As fewer flights become available were severely exploited by the old owners. [And then] they due to global travel due to global travel were ridden on by Lucinta Luna and friends, among other restrictions, their restrictions, their things,” Sumarsono said. efforts include efforts include A coalition advocating for dolphin welfare yesterday called on Indonesian officials to explain the missing dolphins, after the group’s representative found that there were only five assisting those seeking to return home to find available flights. I Putu Surya Dharma, a spokesperson from the regional office for the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, assisting those seeking to return home to find available flights. I Putu Surya Dharma, a spokesperson from the regional office for the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, out of the seven rescued dolphins at their temporary home told Nusa Bali yesterday that between March 1 and 26, told Nusa Bali yesterday that between March 1 and 26, at Bali Exotic Marine Park. nearly 254,000 foreign tourists have left the island. However, nearly 254,000 foreign tourists have left the island. However, Sumarsono also quickly dismissed circulating rumors that authorities had gone on to sell the dolphins or cooked them for consumption. The two dolphins that died, he added, the same period also recorded over 169,000 foreign tourists arriving in Bali, he added. Travelers from Australia, Russia and the United States topped the list of visitors. the same period also recorded over 169,000 foreign tourists arriving in Bali, he added. Travelers from Australia, Russia and the United States topped the list of visitors. were lacking in nutrition and had never undergone a medical examination. Last week, American and Australian citizens in Indonesia were Last week, American and Australian citizens in Indonesia were “There was never a medical check-up. They didn’t have an appropriate medical record, so when we seized them several were sick but they looked healthy,” Sumarsono said, without revealing specific details about the mammals’ cause of death. ordered to leave the country amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, wherein officials also cited evidence of Indonesia’s current medical capacity, among other things, to urge immediate action. Some foreigners have decided to extend their stay in Indonesia, it seems, as evident by packed ordered to leave the country amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, wherein officials also cited evidence of Indonesia’s current medical capacity, among other things, to urge immediate action. Some foreigners have decided to extend their stay in Indonesia, it seems, as evident by packed immigration offices across Bali last week. Indonesia’s immigration offices across Bali last week. Indonesia’s Indonesian officials took their time to close down the Dolphin Lodge, even when the dolphin attraction facility has long been accused of animal exploitation and despite official orders to shut operations last year. Evidently, it took a viral video featuring dangdut singer Lucinta Luna swimming with Directorate General of Immigration has swiftly responded to the spike in visa extension requests, and eligible foreigners unable to return to their home countries due to COVID-19 are being given an automatic extension for their stay Directorate General of Immigration has swiftly responded to the spike in visa extension requests, and eligible foreigners unable to return to their home countries due to COVID-19 are being given an automatic extension for their stay a dolphin for authorities to actually enforce the law. permits. (coconuts.com 01/04/2020) permits. (coconuts.com 01/04/2020) That led to the rescue of seven bottlenose dolphins, which are of the Indo-Pacific species. The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins are a protected species in Indonesia, and they are listed as “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). No Large-Scale Social Restrictions policy for Bali just yet, provincial government says Hundreds of Indonesian crew members flying in from Italy skip quarantine after testing negative for COVID-19 Authorities previously said the dolphins were healthy and being closely supervised, though animal welfare organizations have raised concerns over its current placement at the Bali Exotic Marine Park, which some activists describe as a “commercial captivity center.” Sumarsono emphasized that the dolphins had been under The Bali provincial government says it has yet to consider imposing Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) policy, which requires approval from the central government, to curb the spread of COVID-19 here, claiming that it has already implemented similar steps to an extent. Over 300 Indonesian crew members from the MSC Splendida cruise ship reportedly did not undergo quarantine upon arrival at Ngurah Rai International Airport despite having flown in from Genoa, Italy on Monday night. Officials said all of them tested negative for the novel coronavirus, after rapid tests that were conducted at the airport. medical treatment and supervision to prevent the worst outcome. (balidiscovery.com 15/11/2021) Bali Police Hand Out Food Packages To Vaccinated Locals Speaking to Kumparan yesterday, regional secretary of the Bali administration, Dewa Made Indra, said that the provincial “As soon as they arrived they were checked by officers from the Port Health Authority and followed with rapid tests. The results were negative and [they] didn’t have to be quarantined,” Ida Bagus Ngurah Arda, who heads Bali province’s Manpower Agency, told Kompas yesterday. There were 316 Indonesian crew members in total who boarded a flight with Qatar Airlines from Genoa to Denpasar, via Doha. government is open to implementing PSBB, should risks of the novel coronavirus on the island continue to escalate and require a stricter approach. As reported by Kompas, the crew members had also “Here in Bali we are already enforcing strict limitations. Substantially we have preceded this PSBB policy, but formally and according to the [new] government regulation of course we haven’t,” Indra said. undergone a health examination while in Genoa, after which they were declared healthy PSBB is designed to limit mobility within a region,essentially and permitted to imposing the same social distancing measures that have return to Indonesia. Italy is one of the countries hardest hit by The Badung Police Department handed out food packages to vaccinated citizens at Mengwi Bus Station on Wednesday (24/11). During a Zebra Agung Operation that was conducted to assure the safety of Badung road traffic at Mengwi Bus already been seen in parts of Indonesia affected by the viral disease, though this includes additional measures and stricter enforcement. The policy includes shuttering of all businesses and services the coronavirus pandemic, with over 105,000 confirmed cases and more than 12,000 deaths. Indonesians coming from COVID-19 hot zones, which includes Italy, are subject to health screening by the Port Health Authority upon arrival. Should authorities find that they are exhibiting Station on Wednesday morning, the Head of Badung Trafexcept those deemed essential, and also banning appearly symptoms of COVID-19, they will be observed at a fic Officer, AKP Aan Saputra confirmed that officers also based motorcycle taxis from picking up passengers, meangovernment facility for two weeks. On the other hand, handed out free food packages for residents who had paring they are only allowed to transport goods and deliver those who do not exhibit early symptoms are advised to ticipated in the vaccination program. food to customers. self-quarantine for the same period. The official implementation requires regional governments Yesterday, Coordinating Human Development and Culture to submit relevant data and reports regarding COVID-19 Minister Muhadjir Effendy urged Indonesians overseas to spread in their area to the Health Ministry, among other stay in the countries in which they are living. The government things, which will assess them and decide on whether or not said there are no plans to arrange their repatriation, but that to grant approval. The process has been criticized for being they will be provided with supplies. Indonesia is currently overly bureaucratic. anticipating mass arrivals of Indonesians abroad, particularly those seeking to leave Malaysia as it enforces its movement Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, which has the highest number control order (MCO), as well as crew members of international of confirmed COVID-19 cases, is set to become the cruise ships looking to return home as some cruise lines halt country’s first region to officially enforce PSBB. As of this their operations. For the latter, their return will likely be afternoon, the city reports 1,395 confirmed cases of the through Ngurah Rai, Muhadjir said, adding that there are coronavirus, including 133 deaths and 69 recoveries. about 11,000 Indonesian crew members abroad. As of yesterday afternoon, Bali has recorded 19 positive COVID-19 cases. This includes two deaths of foreign nationals and four recoveries. (coconuts.com 01/04/2020)

“We have educated the importance of prevention protocol to the people who were queueing for Covid-19 vaccine at the location,” AKP Saputra said. “We handed out free face masks and food packages for them.” Additionally, Saputra explained that the Zebra Agung Operation was instructed by the Head of Police Department to reduce the number of violation traffic violations, especially during the upcoming year-end holiday. “This operation was conducted to minimize the potential traffic accidents that are caused by the people who violate our traffic rules during the peak season of our tourism.” AKP Saputra concluded. Bali, for its part, has so far reported 43 confirmed COVID-19 Read more news at our website ... cases, including 19 recoveries and two deaths of foreign nationals. (coconuts.com 07/04/2020)

JAKARTA - Indonesia will temporarily ban all visits and transits by foreign nationals to the country to curb the further spread of the coronavirus. “President (Joko) sees that our current policy needs to be made stricter. We have decided that all visits and transits by foreign nationals to Indonesia will temporarily be banned,” Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters after a virtual ministers’ meeting with President Joko Widodo on Tuesday (March 31). Exceptions to the ban include those with work permits as well as diplomats, Ms Retno added, stressing that proper health protocols will still apply. President Joko said before the ministers’ meeting that Indonesia is stepping up measures to limit mobility among its citizens within the country, but threats of coronavirus spread also come from overseas. Mr Joko pointed out specifically that the epicentres of the pandemic have shifted to the United States and Europe. In Indonesia, Jakarta is the epicentre of the country’s coronavirus crisis, accounting for nearly half of the 1,414 confirmed cases. There are 122 deaths from Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in Indonesia so far, the highest in South-east Asia. Stay in the know with e-mail alerts. “Practically all nations have put in place limits on the flow of travellers with varying (degree of) strictness depending on the respective situation and condition in each country,” Ms Retno said. Their policies have also impacted Indonesians living overseas, many Bali Governor Receives Person Of The Year Award of whom have recently returned home or are preparing to head home. According to Ms Retno, the two largest groups of homebound Bali Governor, I Wayan Koster received an award as Person of The Year 2021 in the category of ‘Best GovIndonesians are Indonesian migrant workers from Malaysia as well as Indonesians working as crews on cruise ships. ernor for Healthcare and Action Against The Pandem“The inflow traffic from these two groups has been far larger than ic’.normal,” Ms Retno said. “In terms of size, the number of Indonesians living and working in Malaysia exceeds 1 million. And there are During an event that was hosted on Wednesday evening (24/11)Indonesian TV station, Metro TV selected 1 out of 8 Governors from 8 different provincial governments in Indonesia including Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, South East Sulawesi, Riau, Bangka Belitung and Jambi to appreciate their hard work in handling the Covid-19 pandemic in their areas. Metro TV also granted awards to the other Governors in several different categories such as Best Governor for Inclusive Economic Growth, Best Governor for EGov & Digital Innovation, and Best Governor for Empowerment & Education. Additionally, Bali was considered as province with the highest rate of Covid-19 vaccine distribution among the other provinces.

Bali Tourist Group Struck By Landslide Near Popular Rafting Area

A group of domestic and international tourists were caught in a landslide at a popular rafting spot in Payangan on Thursday afternoon (25/11). The Head of Payangan Police Department, AKP I Putu

11,838 Indonesian crews working for 80 cruise ships, as per data gathered so far,” Ms Retno added. She said the government is implementing proper health protocols at airports, seaports, border check points on these returning countrymen. Mr Joko on Monday said Indonesia needs stronger measures to limit mobility after receiving reports that thousands of workers in Jakarta and its surrounding areas have returned to their home towns after losing most or all of their income amid the coronavirus outbreak. There have been concerns of a spread of infections as people from Jakarta, the epicentre of the country’s outbreak, return home. The government is preparing regulations that would make it possible for Jakarta and other coronavirus red zones to be put under an “area quarantine”, a term observers see as equivalent to a lockdown, which would stop flows of people going in and out. (straitstimes.com 01/04/2020) Local authorities in Bali are reporting hundreds of workers having lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 outbreak and its subsequent impacts on the tourism industry, while thousands more have been instructed to stay at home without pay. In Denpasar, as many as 2,975 workers were told to stay at home without pay while another 53 workers were laid off, the city’s spokesman Gede Rai told Kompas, adding that the workers were from 37 different companies. “It’s because there is a lack of guests and hotels are not operating,” Gede Rai said. For the time being, authorities in Denpasar are reportedly planning a social protection strategy for these workers, including through Indonesian government’s pre-employment cards, which was launched last month. The cards, which aim to aid job seekers and unemployed workers, grant them access and funding to various trainings. The numbers are even higher in Badung regency, where some of the island’s most popular hotels and restaurants are located. An official from the regency’s Industry and Manpower Agency told Tribun yesterday that 198 workers have been laid off as of April 4, most of whom were employed in the tourism sector.

Bali plans to hold Nyepi-like observance to curb COVID-19 spread

Bali province’s Majelis Desa Adat, or traditional village council, says there are plans to hold a Nyepi-like observance later this month as part of an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 on the island, with the final decision set to be announced tomorrow. The council’s chief, Ida Panglingsir Agung Putra Sukahet, told Tribun yesterday that nothing has been decided for the time being, as authorities would need to hold a meeting first. “We will decide on April 8. If it’s going to happen we will issue an official circular from the traditional village council,” Agung Putra was quoted as saying. The observance, locally referred to as sipeng, will only mandate that people stay at home for three consecutive days and will not follow the exact same rules as the Balinese Day of Silence, according to reports. Ordinarily, Nyepi encourages self-reflection by prohibiting activities such as lighting a fire, working, and traveling or going out, among others. The planned sipeng, however, would only prohibit people from leaving their homes. While official details have not been announced, news of sipeng quickly made its rounds on social media, showcasing divided opinions among local residents. Prompted by concerns over COVID-19, som e are supportive of the initiative, while others question how people are expected to meet their daily needs should the observance take place. “I agree, but it’s

Thousands of workers in Bali on unpaid leave, hundreds more laid off

“Everywhere [in Indonesia] is pretty much facing the same condition. We don’t know when this will end,” Ida Bagus Oka Dirga, who heads the agency, said. He added that in Badung, more than 6,000 workers from 78 companies have been instructed to stay at home and given between 50 to 70 percent of their minimum salary. “Right now, with the hotels empty, of course workers will burden the operational cost. That’s why they have instructed them to stay home. However, we do hope they won’t be laying off [these workers],” I Made Badra, who heads the Tourism Agency in Badung, told Tribun.

Bali hotels roll out cheap promos or shut to survive coronavirus outbreak

The Bali Hotel Association (BHA), whose members include general managers of over 100 four-star and five-star hotels and resorts in Bali, said that most accommodations and restaurants in Bali have opted to temporarily close for at least one month. “At this time, almost all hotels and restaurants in Bali are closed temporarily for one to two months, as we monitor the most up to date situation,” BHA chairman I Made Ricky Darmika Putra told state news agency Antara yesterday. Ricky also responded to circulating information that many hotels in Bali are up for sale, clarifying that those reports are false. In addition, he explained how hotels that are still open have less than 10 percent occupancy rates, while most restaurants have cut their operational hours short. Meanwhile, some other hotels are still seeking to attract potential customers, and are rolling out cheap promotions on long-term stays. One example is Lv8, a hotel located in Canggu, which offers a one-month stay fee starting from IDR8million (US$481). For perspective, the hotel’s normal daily rate ranges from IDR800K-1 million. (coconuts.com 07/04/2020)

JAKARTA - Indonesia will temporarily ban all visits and transits by foreign nationals to the country to curb the further spread of the coronavirus. “President (Joko) sees that our current policy needs to be made stricter. We have decided that all visits and transits by foreign nationals to Indonesia will temporarily be banned,” Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters after a virtual ministers’ meeting with President Joko Widodo on Tuesday (March 31). Exceptions to the ban include those with work permits as well as diplomats, Ms Retno added, stressing that proper health protocols will still apply. President Joko said before the ministers’ meeting that Indonesia is stepping up measures to limit mobility among its citizens within the country, but threats of coronavirus spread also come from overseas. Mr Joko pointed out specifically that the epicentres of the pandemic have shifted to the United States and Europe. In Indonesia, Jakarta is the epicentre of the country’s coronavirus crisis, accounting for nearly half of the 1,414 confirmed cases. There are 122 deaths from Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in Indonesia so far, the highest in South-east Asia. Stay in the know with e-mail alerts. “Practically all nations have put in place limits on the flow of travellers with varying (degree of) strictness depending on the respective situation and condition in each country,” Ms Retno said. Their policies have also impacted Indonesians living overseas, many of whom have recently returned home or are preparing to head home. According to Ms Retno, the two largest groups of homebound Indonesians are Indonesian migrant workers from Malaysia as well as Indonesians working as crews on cruise ships. “The inflow traffic from these two groups has been far larger than normal,” Ms Retno said. “In terms of size, the number of Indonesians living and working in Malaysia exceeds 1 million. And there are 11,838 Indonesian crews working for 80 cruise ships, as per data gathered so far,” Ms Retno added. She said the government is implementing proper health protocols at airports, seaports, border check points on these returning countrymen. Mr Joko on Monday said Indonesia needs stronger measures to limit mobility after receiving reports that thousands of workers in Jakarta and its surrounding areas have returned to their home towns after losing most or all of their income amid the coronavirus outbreak. There have been concerns of a spread of infections as people important to inform the general public way ahead of the actual dates. So it doesn’t seem so abrupt.” “So will there be provision of food from the government?” “Those who have plenty of money from monthly salary have it good as they can simply stock up, but what can we do when we depend on daily income. If it were to happen for four days please think it further wisely.” As of yesterday afternoon, Bali confirmed eight additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the island’s total to 43. This includes 19 recoveries and two deaths of foreign nationals. (Coconuts.com 07/04/2020)

from Jakarta, the epicentre of the country’s outbreak, return home. The government is preparing regulations that would make it possible for Jakarta and other coronavirus red zones to be put under an “area quarantine”, a term observers see as equivalent to a lockdown, which would stop flows of people going in and out. Coordinating maritime affairs and investment minister Luhut Pandjaitan said in a video message on Tuesday that the government would take the decision within this week, stressing however Indonesia would use the term lockdown. Indonesia would also issue a presidential emergency decree that would allow the government to have an annual budget deficit of larger than 3 per cent – currently not allowed by the existing laws – so that it could spend more to deploy cash, especially to the poorest population in the country. This exemption would apply for three years, before a normal threshold of 3 per cent would be reinstalled for 2023 annual budget year. “(Finance Minister) Sri Mulyani is currently making her calculation. What if we give the bottom 40 per cent or 20 per cent direct cash handouts. It is being thoroughly calculated,” Mr Luhut said. President Joko said on Monday that over the past eight days alone, 876 buses had transported about 14,000 people in Greater Jakarta back to their home towns, mostly in West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java provinces. Others had taken the trains and ships home, he added. These are mostly daily-rated workers such as push-cart food sellers, in what is termed the informal sector of the economy. (straitstimes.com 01/04/2020)

Bali’s The Nusa Dua improves safety measures amid pandemic

State-owned enterprise Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) is implementing safety measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19 at tourist destination The Nusa Dua in Bali. I Gusti Ngurah Ardita, managing director of The Nusa Dua, told Antara news agency that a letter had been sent to tenants, urging them to provide hand sanitizers and regularly spray disinfectant in public areas, including toilets, pray rooms, ATM booths and shuttle buses. “This is in accordance with a circular letter from Bali’s provincial administration on improving hygiene and sanitation to combat the virus,” he said. Tenants at The Nusa Dua are also required to check the temperature of all staff and visitors and to routinely clean their sites. A crisis center has been set up for guests, with services that include delivery to the nearest hospital and routine check-ups with health agencies. Ardita added that The Nusa Dua’s employees have been working from home from March 16, except for security and cleaning staff, who have been equipped with protective gear and follow physical distancing measures while on duty. As of March 26, the occupancy rate at The Nusa Dua had dropped 30.45 percent since February. “We hope the pandemic will end soon and tourism in Bali can improve,” said Ardita. On Tuesday, Bali declared a state of emergency by imposing stricter measures on visitors in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 as cases continue to climb with local transmission detected. With the status, the resort island will tighten checks at entrance gates and enforce a 14-day self-quarantine for all people entering the island. (thejakartapost.com 01/04/2020)

Denpasar mayor urges city residents to stay at home amid coronavirus outbreak

The Mayor of Denpasar yesterday urged the city’s residents to refrain from returning to their hometowns and stay at home instead, as part of an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Bali. “I am asking all residents living in Denpasar for the time being do not go anywhere, including to go to your hometown, stay at your respective homes [instead] to break the chain on COVID-19 spread,” , as quoted by state news agency Antara. Many of those who live in Denpasar hail from different parts of the island and even the country. With the social and physical distancing advisory in place and the option to return to their family homes might make sense financially, officials fear it might contribute to further spread of COVID-19. According to Denpasar government’s, there are currently 96 people under monitoring in the city, along with two patients under observation and two more who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Across Bali, the total number of positive COVID-19 cases stand at 10 as of yesterday afternoon, including two deaths of foreign nationals, while a total of 141 patients have been placed under observation, as per data from the provincial government.

The Indonesian government has extended the quarantine for international arrivals to 7 days to prevent transmission of new Omicron Covid-19 variant. The Central government through the Coordinator of Maritime and Investment Minister, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has revised the entry requirement policy by extending the quarantine time for international travelers to seven days. This extended quarantine was added as a prevention measure to stop the spread of the new Covid-19 variant called Omicron. According to early research, the new variant recently found in South Africa and now around the world could be more transmissible and evade vaccines. From the previously implemented 3 day quarantine, Luhut extended the quarantine time to 7 days for both international travelers and Indonesian citizens who have recently traveled from other countries outside Indonesia. Travelers who have recently traveled from 11 countries with high risk of Omicron variant transmission such as Hong Kong, South Africa, Malawi, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Lesotho “Our success in breaking the chain of coronavirus spread requires discipline and cooperation from everyone, not only the government, but also the public in heeding the instructions and suggestions from officials,” Rai Mantra said. Last week, a nurse who tested positive for COVID-19 reportedly went home to Tabanan regency, prompting officials to trace her close contacts immediately.

are now required to undergo 14 days of quarantine upon arrival. However, he said the new policy will further affect the Bali tourism sector. Bali is also facing a partial lockdown for the holidays plus tourism businesses will already be under more strict measures and operate with more restrictions. “I must admit that this will impact our tourism industry as people become more reluctant to travel, but we still may have a few domestic tourists that come in December.” Suryawijaya concluded. (thebalisun.com 30/30/2021) Koster claims to have successfully supported the Bali economic sector by helping small local industries including Bali traditional liquor, Endek woven fabric, traditional salt industry as well as encouraging the people to utilize the local agricultural and marine products on the island. Ady Wijaya confirmed that a group of tourists who have been identified as Martin Indrawijaya (aged 42), Finna Lianty (aged 38), Nuryanti (aged 36), Julius Hans Wijaya (aged 10), Marvel Sanjaya (aged 8) from Tangerang, Banten and a Swedish national named Cleas Henry Jinback (aged 55) were struck by a landslide at one of the popular rafting areas in Payangan, Gianyar. Jinback, Martin and his wife, Finna who were in front of their children (Julius and Marvel) realized the potential danger, they immediately jumped to a safer area, while the rest of them were caught in the landslide. “During the evacuation, Julius and Nuryati were already lifeless when we found them, while the other victim, Marvel hasn’t been found.” AKP Ady WIjaya said on Thursday evening. Meanwhile the Head of Bali Search and Rescue (Basarnas), Gede Darmada confirmed that he immediately deployed a rescue team after receiving a report about the incident from one of the relatives of the victims at 2:55pm. Darmada was forced to stop the search due to poor weather conditions and relaunched the search this morning.

River Waste Polluting West Bali Beaches

Beaches In Jembrana, West Bali have been polluted by huge piles of waste that are drifting down rivers due to heavy rains. While there was originally a debate that river pollution was blamed on mass tourism, that isn’t the case due to the borders being closed. The impact of the heavy rains are being seen on some beaches in the Jembrana region. Pebuahan Beach that is located in Banyubiru Village has been polluted by waste that was carried by the rivers. “Many logs, tree branches, garbage and plastic is polluting our beach, causing the water to be covered in the waste.” said one of the residents. Nearby residents said that this is actually an annual problem in the Jembrana coastal area as the rain intensity

tends to increase at the end of the year. “I must admit that this is a common problem in our area, but apparently the issue is even worse this year, as a large amounts of waste is covering the water from the shore to the open ocean.” said the resident. Tourists are reluctant to visit the beach in Jembrana region at this time of year. “The number of visitors of the beach has significantly reduced due to the bad weather recently, as well as the huge pile of garbage on the beach that is making people feel uncomfortable.” he concluded. The residents hope that the regional government can solve this problem immediately to help the local people in the area.