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PLN Gradually Recovers Electricity Supply (0)
State-owned electricity firm PT PLN has recovered electric power to Balaraja Extra High Voltage substation in Banten Province, and furthermore it will be channeled to Suralaya steam-fueled power plant (PLTU) to gradually recover its operation to reach its capacity of 2800 MW of electricity.
In addition, power supply from Gandul Extra High Voltage substations in Depok, West Java Province, will be channeled to Muara Karang gas and steam power plant (PLTGU) to supply electricity to the Indonesian capital city, Jakarta.
Acting President Director of PLN Sripeni Inten Cahyani said here on Sunday that the power supply to Jakarta was expected to recover within three hours.
"We apologize for the inconvenience today, and currently all efforts have been made to recover the Java-Bali power system, especially in the area of West Java, Banten, and Jakarta," Cahyani said.
The company has focused on power supply to PLTGU Muara Karang and PLTGU Priok to recover the system in the capital city.
Previously, PLN has recovered the operation of hydro-generated power plant (PLTA) Saguling and PLTA Cirata which are functioned as power stabilizer, and, at the same time, supply the electricity to PLTU Suralaya through Cibinong, Depok, Gandul, Lengkok, Balaraja and Suralaya extra high voltage substations.
PLTU Suralaya is expected to return to its normal operation within six hours to normalize power system in West Java and Banten.
Blackout that affected thousands of homes and public facilities in West Java, Jakarta, and Banten was caused by several troubles in the extra high voltage 500 kV transmission of Ungaran - Pemalang.
"PLN has taken its best efforts and will have evaluation to prevent recurrence of today's incident," Cahyani said.
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July
Indrawati highlights four obstacles to global economic recovery
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has highlighted four risks that could hamper global economic recovery since the first half of 2021.
"Even though there was a positive and very good performance in the first half of 2021, we saw that there were risks that also emerged in the first half, especially in the second quarter," she said at the KiTA APBN press conference here on Wednesday.
The first risk has been the emergence of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, which has increased the possibility of tightening of restrictions on public activities, hampering normal activities in many countries, she added.
The Delta variant has had a tremendous impact on the society and economy in March, April and May this year, and now the variant has spread to more than 130 countries, Indrawati noted.
Moreover, cases of the Delta variant have surged in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom after the two countries implemented massive vaccination programs, she pointed out.
The next risk has been the uneven implementation of the vaccination program among countries and within one country, leading to differences in pandemic control and economic recovery, Indrawati said.
Vaccinations are currently not evenly distributed because some people are not ready to get vaccinated, as seen in several states in the US, she added. Some communities in several countries in Africa and Asia do not even have access to the program, she continued.
"Vaccination access and vaccination penetration capabilities pose risks, as the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of COVID-19, will continue to be contagious and mutate as long as the disease is not treated properly," the finance minister cautioned.
Furthermore, the third risk has been an increase in inflation above five percent in two consecutive months in the US, or well above the inflation target of around two percent, she said.
The increase has affected the purchasing power of the American public, especially in the middle and lower groups, and threatened recovery, as well as given rise to various projections of the Federal Reserve's (Fed) measures in response to inflation, she added.
The last risk has been supply disruptions and rising inflation in many countries, especially developed countries, which are affecting production and increasing production costs, she pointed out.
"We see various possibilities from the supply and the increase in inflation to production around the world,” said the minister. (Antaranews)
July
The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) authorities reopened the Padar Island tourist resort in Komodo National Park (TN), West Manggarai District, to tourists after being shut since July 5 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Director of the Executing Agency for the Labuan Bajo Flores Authority (BPOLBF) Shana Fatina stated here on Tuesday that the tourist area was opened since July 19, 2021.
"It has been reopened after being closed for approximately 14 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic," she stated.
Tourists visiting the island are requested to adhere to stringent health protocols as set by the agency and the national park authority.
The number of tourists visiting the park is limited to a maximum of 300 people. The visitor cap is deemed necessary, as the protected park has only one trekking path spanning 522 meters.
The visiting hours for tourists are also limited to only between 5:30 and 7:30 WITA (local time) and from 8:00 WITA to 10:00 WITA and between 15:00 and 18:00 WITA.
"The entry hours have been split into several segments to prevent crowds at the Komodo National Park area," she explained.
Fatina remarked that tourists arriving at Padar Island are required to wear face masks or face shields, maintain a distance of about a meter from one another, and get their body temperature checked upon arrival at the island's dock.
Padar Island, though small, is the third-largest island of Komodo National Park, and was once a stomping ground for large Komodo dragons that gave the reserve its name.
The island is about 20 miles (30 km) from Labuan Bajo, a fishing town on the westernmost part of Flores. (Antaranews)
July
Government extends emergency mobility restrictions until July 25
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday evening announced the extension of emergency mobility restrictions (PPKM) until July 25, 2021, saying they will be gradually relaxed from July 26 depending on the trend in coronavirus infections.
"If the trend of cases continues to decline, then on July 26, 2021, the government will gradually lift restrictions," said Widodo in a video statement streamed on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel.
The government had earlier announced emergency mobility restrictions in provinces across Java and Bali, as well as 15 districts/cities outside the islands, from July 3 to July 20.
"The implementation of the emergency PPKM, which began on July 3, was an unavoidable policy that needed to be taken by the government, despite it being a tough decision to make," the President said.
The emergency PPKM policy has been implemented to cut the transmission of COVID-19 and reduce hospitalizations, he explained.
"This is so that (the demand) does not lead to hospital overcapacity and so that health treatments for patients with other critical illnesses are not disrupted, and their lives are not threatened," he added.
Data has shown that the number of cases and bed occupancy in hospitals have decreased following the implementation of the emergency PPKM, Widodo said.
"We always monitor and comprehend the dynamics on the ground, at the same time, we listen to those who are affected by the PPKM," he remarked.
If COVID-19 cases continue to fall within the additional five days of PPKM implementation, the government will begin rolling back restrictions, including by allowing traditional markets and small businesses to open for fixed hours that will be set by local governments, he informed.
According to data provided by the COVID-19 task force, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia has reached 2,950,058 as of July 20, 2021, with the addition of 38,325 cases on Tuesday. The number of active cases has reached 550,192, it added.
Meanwhile, the number of recovered patients increased by 29,791 on Tuesday, taking total COVID-19 recoveries to 2,323,666.
The number of deaths increased by 1,280, bringing the total death toll from COVID-19 in Indonesia to 76,200. (Antaranews)
July
Social protection programs formulated to lower poverty rate: Minister
Written by Nur Yasmin
The government's social protection programs are designed to reduce the poverty rate, currently above 10 percent, on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy stated.
"The government had succeeded in reducing the poverty rate to 9.22 percent in September 2019. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the current poverty rate has surged to over 10 percent," the minister noted in a statement here on Tuesday.
Data of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) indicated that in March 2021, Indonesia's poverty rate had reached 10.14 percent, with the number of poor currently at around 27.54 million people, he pointed out.
The government is upbeat about the social protection programs being able to reduce poverty in the next period.
"This COVID-19 has had an impact on increasing poverty. However, the government has provided various social safety net programs to protect people from becoming poor," he remarked.
Effendy reminded that the government's various programs provided during the COVID-19 pandemic should be evaluated, especially concerning the expected contribution to reduce poverty.
In the meantime, the Indonesian government is preparing to increase the social protection budget under the national economic recovery (PEN) program by Rp33.98 trillion to Rp187.84 trillion, from Rp153.86 trillion.
The increase in the social protection budget is the result of the expansion and extension of social protection programs in response to the enforcement of public activity restrictions (PPKM) from July 3, 2021, head of the Fiscal Policy Board at the Finance Ministry, Febrio Kacaribu, noted in a written statement on Monday. (Antaranews)
July
Indonesian ambassador welcomes athletes, officers for Tokyo Olympics
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indonesian Ambassador to Japan Heri Akhmadi and his staff welcomed Indonesian athletes and the supporting teams for the Tokyo Olympics at Tokyo's Narita Airport, Japan, on Sunday.
The Indonesian contingent consisted of 13 athletes and 11 coaches from five sports, namely archery (4 athletes), weightlifting (4), shooting (1), swimming (2), and surfing (1+1 reserve athlete) , and 4 supporting teams, Chef de Mission (CdM) Rosan P Roeslani, and Chair of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) Sapta Oktohari.
Ambassador Akhmadi said he was proud of the Indonesian Olympic team because they were the nation's best sons and daughters who would represent the nation at the most honorable sporting event.
"They fight to uphold the name of Indonesia. Hopefully all can give the best for the nation and are always in the protection of Allah SWT, God Almighty," Ambassador Heri Akhmadi said in a press release issued by the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, Sunday.
Meanwhile, CdM Roeslani appreciated the support for the facilities and the welcome accorded by the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo to the Indonesian Olympic team. He hoped the athletes would perform their best during the Tokyo Olympics.
"Hopefully there will be an increase in the achievements of the athletes. Our focus is on encouraging the athletes because this is a very challenging Olympics amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as there restrictions and others," Roeslani said.
The ambassador and the CdM visited the Olympic Athlete Village to see where the athletes were staying. Akhmadi ensured that the Athlete Village has implemented very strict health protocols to guarantee the safety and health of the entire contingents.
Prior to the large group that just arrived, Indonesia's badminton team had already arrived in Japan on Thursday (8/7) to undergo training in Kumamoto Prefecture. The Indonesian badminton team will join the group in Tokyo on Monday (19/7).
The members of the Indonesian contingent have been vaccinated and undergone quarantine with strict health protocols according to the rules of the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG).
CdM and KOI also stepped up testing with PCR swab tests for seven consecutive days, and the test results on the 4th day and 30 hours before departure were submitted to the Japanese government. (Antaranews)
July
Indonesia adds 44,721 fresh COVID-19 cases on Sunday
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indonesia added 44,721 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday, taking the total count to 2,877,476, the COVID-19 Response Task Force reported.
Among the 34 provinces of Indonesia, Jakarta recorded the highest single-day increase in cases at 9,128, followed by West Java (7,777), and East Java (5,726).
Meanwhile, 29,264 people recovered from COVID-19 in a single day, taking the total number of recoveries to 2,261,658, with Jakarta reporting the highest number of daily recoveries at 11,857 on Sunday. .
With 1,093 people succumbing to the infection in the past 24 hours, the COVID-19 death toll has risen to 73,582 since the country reported the first infections in March 2020.
The highest number of deaths was seen in East Java at 328.
The task force also recorded the number of active cases, or patients receiving treatment and conducting self-isolation increased 14,364 to touch 542,236 on Sunday.
The number of suspected cases swelled to 253,785. (Antaranews)
July
South Korea donates oxygen concentrators, ventilators to Indonesia
Written by Nur Yasmin
The South Korean government has donated 350 oxygen concentrators and 35 ventilators to help Indonesia cope with an exponential spike in COVID-19 cases.
"No singe country is able to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic alone," South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Park Tae-Sung said in a written statement released on Sunday.
As many as 200 of the 350 oxygen concentrators arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Sunday (July 18). The remaining 150 oxygen concentrators will arrive in Indonesia in not so distant future.
Park Tae-Sung said the COVID-19 pandemic should be faced with international solidarity and cooperation.
As Indonesia's special strategic partner, South Korea will always cooperate with Indonesia in battling the COVID-19, he said.
He expressed the hope that South Korean assistance will help secure the supply of oxygen concentrators in Indonesia.
South Korea will continue to cooperate with Indonesia in handling the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia including providing other humanitarian aid, he said.
This year, South Korea disbursed US$4 million or Rp57 billion in funds to help Indonesia as a manifestation of cooperation to increase its capacity in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Besides South Korea, several other countries, including Australia, Singapore, the United States, the Netherlands, Japan, Britain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), India, and China have also offered help to Indonesia to deal with the explosion in COVID-19 cases.
With Indonesia recording an exponential increase in COVID-19 cases, several countries have stepped in to provide vaccines and medical equipment to help the nation fight the latest spike in infections.
Fifteen days since the imposition of public movement restrictions, Indonesia's COVID-19 cases have continued to explode, with the country adding 51,952 daily cases on Saturday, bringing the tally to 2,832,755.
With 1,092 people succumbing to the virus in a single day, the death toll climbed to 72,489. Meanwhile, the number of daily recoveries reached 27,903, taking the total tally so far to 2,232,394. (Antaranews)
July
Vice President urges Muslims to perform Idul Adha prayer at home
Written by nuke
Vice President Ma'ruf Amin . (July 15, 2021). (Asdep KIP Setwapres) -
Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has appealed to Indonesia's Muslims to perform Idul Adha prayer at home with their families, as there should be no congregational prayer either in the mosques or in the fields.
“Performing a mass prayer is voluntary, but protecting ourselves from the COVID-19 pandemic is obligatory, so obligatory things should be preceded over the voluntary one,” Amin stated in a press release here on Sunday.
The provision on performing Idul Adha prayer at home aims at slashing the COVID-19 transmission case rate during the enforcement of emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM), he expounded.
Amin emphasized that the policy was not meant to restrain the Muslims from praying in mosques, but to protect the public from the COVID-19 threats.
“The enforcement aims to help handle the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting and preventing the public from being infected and becoming victims,” he said.
The provision on Muslims’ worships during Idul Adha is regulated on Religius Affairs Circular No.17 of 2021 pertaining to temporary suspension on mass prayers at places of worship, takbiran (eve of Idul Adha celebrations) night, Idul Adha prayers, and technical guidance on qurban implementation in 1442 Islamic year in the emergency PPKM areas.
The Vice President earlier called on ulemas to call on all people to obey the government’s policy by not causing a crowd during Idul Adha.
“I ask all activities to be aligned with the provision, do not throng, including doing all activities pertaining to Idul Adha at mosque or outside the mosque,” he said.
Millions of Muslims across the globe — including in countries like Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey, Russia and Pakistan — are celebrating Idul Adha or Eid al-Adha, Islam’s most revered observance, which falls on July 20 this year in Indonesia.
Known as the Feast of Sacrifice or “big Eid,” it is one of the two major religious festivals of Islam. The other, Eid al-Fitr, occurs at the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting//ANT
July
Industry Ministry mobilizes oxygen supply for COVID-19 patients
Written by nuke
A truck carrying oxygen concentrators prepares for dispatch from the Industry Ministry to the Health Ministry building in Jakarta. (ANTARA/HO-Industry Ministry/sh) -
The Industry Ministry has mobilized supply from oxygen generation plants nationwide to meet the growing demand for medical oxygen for COVID-19 patients across Indonesia.
"Oxygen stocks are available in Java as well as outside Java. Now, as the demand in Java is high, we are mobilizing the supply from plants in Java as well as outside Java to meet the sharply increased demand," the ministry's director of upstream chemical industry, Fridy Juwono, said here on Thursday.
The demand for medical oxygen in Indonesia has jumped from just 400 tons per day in March, 2020, when the country reported its first coronavirus infections, to two thousand tons per day on average currently.
Data from the Health Ministry shows that medical oxygen demand has reached 2,323 tons per day as of July 6, 2021, Juwono said.
Meanwhile, the national oxygen production capacity has been recorded at just 1,850 tons per day, which means the industry would need to boost production, he pointed out.
The Industry Minister has issued instruction no. 1/2021, asking industry operators to contribute to efforts to meet the oxygen demand for COVID-19 handling, he informed.
Dry air, which serves as the raw material for obtaining pure oxygen, is a mixture of 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and 1 percent argon, he said.
During purification, oxygen is separated from other components of the air through pressure swing absorption, he said adding, the oxygen can then be directly supplied for industrial use through a pipeline.
Some of the oxygen is liquefied and stored in oxygen cylinders as industrial stock, Juwono said.
To produce medical oxygen, liquefied oxygen would need to be converted into gas, he added.
"The liquefied oxygen would be further treated to meet the Health Ministry's standard, to reach up to 99 percent of purity, before it can be used for medical purposes," he further informed.
There are five major oxygen producers in Indonesia catering to industries as well as medical facilities, he noted.
In keeping with the ministerial instruction, oxygen producers are currently prioritizing medical oxygen production, he said.
"Many industries have also contributed to deliver their oxygen supply. From Batam, we received 100 tons, Bontang 500 tons. The oxygen would be collected and used for medical purposes," Juwono said.
Oxygen supply to the industry could get disrupted once demand for medical oxygen surpasses 2,500 tons per day, he added.
"Under such a situation, we will have to import (oxygen). But, this is something we do not want to happen," he remarked//ANT
July
Experts laud ministry's facilities converted into COVID-19 hospitals
Written by nuke
A health worker arranges a bed in an isolation room at the Jakarta Marine Base Emergency Hospital, Saturday, July 10, 2021. (ANTARA PHOTOS/M RISYAL HIDAYAT/KT) -
Military observer of the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) Khairul Fahmi praised the Ministry of Defense's move to convert its facilities into COVID-19 emergency hospitals.
"Since the start of the pandemic, I have suggested the mobilization of national resources and infrastructure as a solution and precautionary measures to fulfill emergency needs," Fahmi stated when contacted in Jakarta, Friday, July 16.
The ISESS military observer noted that during this time, problems faced in handling COVID-19 were not only related to infrastructure but also human labor, specifically health workers.
"This calls for other solutions, such as the mobilization of human resources, so that health workers really focus on handling patients, and they would no longer be bothered by administrative issues and so on," Fahmi remarked.
He stated that the Ministry of Defense has worked accordingly by mobilizing the supporting components of national defense as stipulated in Law No. 23 of 2019 on National Resource Management for National Defense.
Similarly, Marapi Consulting and Advisory Senior Researcher Beni Sukadis fully supported Minister of Defense Prabowo's move to transform the ministry's education and training Centers (Pusdiklat) into emergency hospitals for COVID-19 patients.
The new emergency hospitals could help address the shortage of beds or health facilities due to the surge in the number of COVID-19 patients. In addition to supplementing emergency health facilities, the ministry should ensure the availability of health workers, Sudakis remarked.
Currently, the ministry’s several facilities were converted into COVID-19 emergency hospitals, two of which were the Defense Management Center (Pusdiklat Jemenhan) Building and the Language Education and Training Center at Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, Sukadis stated.
The senior researcher noted that the ministry's training agency in Salemba, Central Jakarta; Country Defense Center in Rumpin, Bogor; and mess stand by force at IPSC Sentul, Bogor, would serve as emergency hospitals. Thus, a total of 1,650 additional beds will be available for COVID-19 patients in the Jabodetabek metropolitan area.
He said these converted health facilities can be utilized to treat COVID-19 patients with moderate symptoms. They are also equipped with health workers, such as general practitioners, internal medicine specialists, pulmonary specialists, and anesthesiologists.
For additional health workers, the ministry has deployed supporting components that comprised general practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory institutions, radiographers, Sudakis pointed out.
Earlier, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto stated that the healthcare service units had been working to offer health facilities for over a year//CNA