VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

BMKG cautions community of likely coastal flooding in NTT's regions - ANT

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned the people of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) of likely coastal flooding forecast to occur on April 1-3, 2021, in parts of the province.

"There is a likelihood of coastal flooding occurring due to tidal activity, high waves, and strong winds, as well as high rainfall," Head of the Maritime Meteorology Station Tenau Syaeful Hadi stated here on Saturday.

The tidal phenomenon is forecast to occur in parts of the province, including on the north coast of Flores Island and Alor Island, the north or south coast of Timor Island and Rote Island.

In addition, the threat of rob looms large over the coast of Sumba Island and Sabu Island and Raijua Island.Hadi noted that this condition could have an impact by disrupting transportation around the port and coast, the activities of salt farmers and inland fish, as well as loading and unloading activities at the port.

Hence, he urged people in the island provinces to always stay vigilant and alert as a precautionary measure against the threat of coastal flooding.

Hadi also called on the public to follow the maritime weather developments through a trusted BMKG source via the channel available with telephone number 03808561910.

In addition, the public can access information through the website http://peta-maritim.bmkg.go.id/ or directly contact the nearest BMKG office.

"We urge the public to always be careful and not easily trust various types of information on the impact of the weather from irresponsible sources, such as social media," Hadi noted//ANT

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, seen on a November 2020 visit to Seoul - Reuters

China and South Korea vowed to work together to address problems on the Korean Peninsula, the Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday (Apr 3).

During the first visit by a South Korean foreign minister to China in three years, State Councillor Wang Yi, the Chinese government's top diplomat, said the two countries had agreed "to promote the process to politically resolve issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula", Yonhap reported.

"Korea and China share a common goal toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," Yonhap cited Chung as saying.In February, Wang called for stronger communication and coodination from all parties to resolve tensions on the Korean peninsula, after he spoke to Chung on the phone.Wang told Chung Eui-yong in the phone call that Beijing had always appreciated South Korea’s “unique role” in Korean peninsula affairs and urged extra efforts to achieve denuclearisation and lasting peace, China's foreign ministry statement had said//CNA

CDC updates guidance to cruise ship industry, urges COVID-19 vaccinations

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention on Friday (Apr 2) issued new guidance to the cruise ship industry, including the need for COVID-19 vaccinations, a necessary step before passenger voyages can resume.

The new technical instructions, the first update since October, include increasing from weekly to daily reporting frequency of COVID-19 cases and illnesses and implementing routine testing of all crew based on a ship’s COVID-19 status and establishing a plan and timeline for vaccination of crew and port personnel.

"COVID-19 vaccination efforts will be critical in the safe resumption of passenger operations," the CDC said.

CDC said the next phase of the CDC's conditional sail order will include simulated voyages to allow crew and port personnel to practice new COVID-19 operational procedures with volunteers before sailing with passengers.

"CDC is committed to working with the cruise industry and seaport partners to resume cruising when it is safe to do so, following the phased approach outlined" in October's conditional sail order," the agency said.It did not specify a date for the resumption of cruise operations from US ports despite calls from the industry for planning for a phased resumption by the beginning of July. The CDC said it will issue additional guidance before it will allow cruises to resume.

The Cruise Lines International Association, which represents Carnival Corp, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises and others had pleaded with CDC to issue new guidance, saying in a Mar 24 statement the "lack of any action by the CDC has effectively banned all sailings in the largest cruise market in the world." It did not immediately comment on Friday.

The group had said the prior conditional sail order issued in October was "outdated" and "does not reflect the industry's proven advancements and success operating in other parts of the world, nor the advent of vaccines, and unfairly treats cruises differently. Cruise lines should be treated the same as other travel, tourism, hospitality, and entertainment sectors."//CNA

Phuket in southern Thailand

Come Jul 1, international tourists will be able to visit Phuket in southern Thailand without going through quarantine if they have been vaccinated. 

The decision was announced last week by the Center for Economic Situation Administration, following a proposal by Phuket’s private sector after nearly a year of economic woes due to the pandemic.

“And in order to remove the quarantine, we need vaccination.”

The popular resort island heavily relies on international tourists. In 2019, they made up 73 per cent of the total of 14.55 million visitors, based on data from the Phuket Provincial Statistical Office. This means when the government banned international commercial flights last April to control the pandemic, Phuket was hit hard.

The island’s pristine beaches are now mostly empty despite the high season. Many restaurants and bars are shut while hotels and resorts suffer from a drop in bookings. However, this could change over the next few months.

Many business operators in Phuket have already begun calling back employees and banks have also started giving out loans, Bhummikitti said. 

“Of course, the number of tourists may not be as high as it was in 2019 or the years before that but I think this will be a start. Everybody understands that during the initial period, international arrivals may not be overwhelming. Still, we’re confident that if we can reopen in July, the prospects should be very good from October onwards,” he added.

As the province prepares to welcome oversea travellers, a plan has been made to inoculate 70 per cent of its residents against COVID-19. The Phuket Provincial Administration has set a target of procuring 933,174 doses of vaccine from the government for 466,587 people, including local residents and migrant workers.

The reopening of Phuket will be used as a test to gauge international tourism demand as well as Thailand’s readiness to unlock more areas for overseas travellers later this year.

According to Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn, the southern island was chosen to pioneer the quarantine-free tourism model because of its readiness, strong reliance on international tourists and geographic insularity.The quarantine-free tourism model “Phuket sandbox” requires international visitors to complete their COVID-19 vaccination in their country and produce proof upon arrival in Phuket from July, along with a certificate showing negative COVID-19 test results obtained before flying to Thailand//CNA