The PISS (Prevention, Integrative, Solidarity and Stimulus) Model in Handling COVID-19 in Pekanbaru City

Wan Asrida, Auradian Marta, Wazni

Department of Government Studies in Universitas Riau, Indonesia

E-mail: [email protected]

Article Information	ABSTRACT
Received: 29 March 2023 Revised: April 12, 2023 Approved: April 15, 2023 Online: April 17, 2023	The COVID-19 outbreak has had a very broad impact on the social, economic and health sectors. Therefore, an effective policy model is urgently needed in handling COVID-19. This study seeks to explain how the policy model is in handling COVID-19 in Pekanbaru City. The research method used is a qualitative approach by collecting data through interviews and document searches. The results of this research indicate that there are four basic things in the policy model for handling COVID-19 in Pekanbaru, namely Prevention, Integration, Solidarity and Stimulus. The four approaches in the policy model for handling COVID-19 are carried out simultaneously, not only useful in minimizing the spread of COVID-19 but also useful in dealing with the impact of COVID-19.
Keywords
policy model;  prevention; integrative; solidarity; stimulus

INTRODUCTION

This research discusses the policy model for handling COVID-19 in Pekanbaru City. This research was motivated by the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus in Pekanbaru City so Pekanbaru City was included in the red zone. In general, the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19 has been evenly distributed throughout Indonesia. Based on data obtained from the Ministry of Health on April 14, 2020, the DKI Jakarta area is the area most infected with the COVID-19 virus with a total of 2335 positive cases (Ministry of Health go. id, accessed on April 15, 2020). Meanwhile, in Riau Province, 20 people were positively infected with the COVID-19 virus and the majority of people infected with the virus came from the city of Pekanbaru. The following is Figure 1.1 regarding the general development of the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesian territory:

Figure 1

Development of the Spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia

Source: Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia (2020)

The development of the spread of COVID-19 in the city of Pekanbaru which was quite significant caused the city of Pekanbaru to be declared a red zone area for the spread of COVID-19 on April 13, 2020. The Governor of Riau stated that the transmission of COVID-19 in Pekanbaru had occurred in the city. Not from other countries or regions that are infected. In other words, Pekanbaru has become a local transmission area (analytics.co.id, accessed on 15 April 2020). Covid cases in Pekanbaru City until April 13 2020 were 11 people positive for COVID-19, 1537 people ODP, and 54 people PDP (riaubook.com, accessed on April 15, 2020). The following shows Figure 1.2 about the spread of COVID-19 in Pekanbaru City and other areas in Riau Province:

Figure 2

Development of the Spread of COVID-19 in Pekanbaru City and Other Regions

in Riau Province

Source: riaubook.com, accessed on 15 April 2020

Some empirical phenomena related to the handling of COVID-19 in Pekanbaru City are as follows:

a. Dissemination of policies for handling COVID-19 which have not been effectively carried out;

b. Inadequate medical and health facilities such as a lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 detection tools;

c. Lack of public awareness of the dangers of COVID-19; and

d. Budget for handling COVID-19 that has not been allocated.

Studies on COVID-19 are dominated by the health sector as conducted by ((Harapan et al., 2020; Ifdil et al., 2020; Mahendradhata et al., 2021; Nugraha et al., 2020; Susanna, 2020). Apart from health studies, COVID-19 is also discussed in an economic approach (Haitao & Ali, 2021; Malahayati et al., 2021; Mursalina et al., 2022; Olivia et al., 2020; Suryahadi et al., 2020; Susilawati et al., 2020). Meanwhile, this study seeks to offer a new approach to handling COVID-19. Because of that, this study seeks to answer the question of what is the policy model for handling COVID-19 in Pekanbaru City.

METHODS

This research design uses qualitative methods. According to Taylor, Bogdan & DeVault (2016) is an approach that aims to find the meaning of one's actions and study the setting of the social processes that occur. Furthermore, to better understand and explain the policy model for handling COVID-19 in Pekanbaru, this research design uses a case study. The case study method is very relevant to help answer research problems with a more in-depth explanation. So that the method used in data collection is in-depth interviews and documentation studies.

The qualitative data analysis technique used in this study is an interactive model (Huberman, 2014). This interactive model starts from the data collection process, both primary data and secondary data, then data reduction, data condensation, data display, and data description/verification are carried out. The next step is to present the interpretation of the data and the last is to conclude.

RESULTS

Prevention of the Spread of COVID-19

The spread of COVID-19 has spread all over the world. Various treatments carried out by countries in the world to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Experience from various countries in the world can actually be used as a reference for the Government and Regional Governments in making policies for handling COVID-19. (Žižek, 2020) explains that a strong state is needed in times of epidemics since large-scale measures like quarantines have to be performed with military discipline. Therefore, the first strategy in preventing the spread of COVID-19 is regional quarantine. Regional quarantine aims to limit community mobilization in an area so as to reduce the potential for transmission of COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017) "quarantine is the separation and restriction of the movement of people who have potentially been exposed to a contagious disease to ascertain if they become unwell, thereby reducing the risk of them infecting others."

Apart from regional quarantine, quarantine is also carried out for people suspected of having been exposed to COVID-19. The Ministry of Health has designed standards for quarantine of COVID-19 patients which can be explained in the table below:

Table 1

Quarantine Activities According to Patient Status and Condition

Quarantine form	Home Quarantine (Self-Isolation)	Quarantine Special Facilities/Emergency Hospital COVID-19	Hospital Quarantine
Status	OTG, ODP, PDP, Mild Symptom	· ODP aged over 60 years with controlled comorbidities · Moderate symptomatic PDP ·  Mild PDP without inadequate home quarantine facilities	PDP with severe symptoms
Place*	Own house/own facilities	The place provided by the Government (COVID-19 emergency hospital)	Hospital
Supervision	· Doctors, nurses, and/or other health workers · May be assisted by Bhabinkabtibmas, Babinsa, and/or volunteers	Doctors, nurses, and/or other health workers	Doctors, nurses, and/or other health workers
Financing	· Independent · Other parties who can help (philanthropy)	· Government, BNPB, governors, district heads, mayors, district heads, and village heads · Other sources	· Government, BNPB, governors, district heads, mayors, district heads, and village heads · Other sources
Monitoring and Evaluation	Done by the local Health Service	Done by the local Health Service	Done by the local Health Service

Source: (RI Ministry of Health, 2020:15)

Note: *places for treating cases consider clinical conditions, risk of transmission, and capacity

Second, is the application of health protocols as an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Everyone must implement this health protocol to anticipate the transmission of COVID-19. Government policies that change dynamically such as the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) policy until the "New Normal" or "New Habit Adaptation" era have one principle in common, namely emphasizing the importance of maintaining health protocols. In fact, in the New Normal era, ideally, discipline in following health protocols will be even more enhanced. This is because, in the New Normal era, people can do their activities and work productively during the COVID-19 pandemic. The health protocols that are generally enforced are washing hands, wearing masks, maintaining distance, and avoiding crowds or crowds.

Integrative Policy Model

Handling COVID-19 needs to be seen as joint work or collaboration between governments (regional and central). Inter-governmental collaboration is very closely related to the government system in a country that adheres to polycentric (Tang & An, 2020). This condition is certainly a major challenge in overcoming the COVID-19 crisis. Indonesia as a country that adheres to the principle of decentralization in which the regions have the right and authority to regulate their regions is trying with all its capabilities and available resources to overcome the crisis caused by COVID-19.

At the beginning of the handling of COVID-19, the Pekanbaru City Government, which was marked by the occurrence of the first positive case in Pekanbaru, issued a good response by making studies and making Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) policies. In general, the implementation of the PSBB was successful in reducing the spread of COVID-19 cases in Pekanbaru. However, there are still notes regarding the implementation of the PSBB policy in Pekanbaru where ideally the regional quarantine is supported by national policies and policies from neighboring regions. This means that the regional government and the central government complement each other in handling COVID-19, not the other way around by issuing inconsistent and contradictory policies.

Contradictions in terms of policies can be seen when the City Government prohibits and closes the entry and exit doors for the city of Pekanbaru, but the national government issues policies in the transportation sector that allow limited modes of transportation to operate. This policy overlap resulted in the implementation of the PSBB in Pekanbaru not being optimal. This can be seen from the increasing curve of the community who is positive for COVID-19, namely a total of 18 people (see table 5.5) during the implementation of PSBB II. Based on the results of tracking and tracing the people exposed to COVID-19, the results obtained were that the majority (11 people) were from the education cluster originating from West Java. Once again, this is a policy relaxation carried out by the central government which causes the handling of COVID-19 in Pekanbaru to be not optimal.

The PSBB policy in Pekanbaru was also not followed by neighboring areas such as Siak Regency, Pelalawan Regency, and Kampar Regency which are members of Pekansikawan. This condition is counterproductive to what Pekanbaru has done to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Integrative policies between regions that have direct contact will create government synergy in handling COVID-19. However, until the PSBB in Pekanbaru ended, the PSBB policy in the buffer zones had never been proposed.

According to (Gaskell et al., 2020) failure in handling COVID-19 is caused by systemic weaknesses in policymaking. Inappropriate policies can become "blunders" in handling COVID-19. Data should be the basis for policymakers so that the center and regions are currently facing 2 (two) threats at once, namely the health crisis and the economic collapse.

Integrative policies in this study can also be understood in the context of the use of local wisdom in Pekanbaru. The people of Pekanbaru, who are known to be religious and have Malay culture, are very obedient to the edicts issued by the clerics and traditional leaders. Therefore, the role of clerics and traditional leaders is important in handling COVID-19. As an example of the central role of the clergy in providing understanding and explanation of the implementation of worship during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pekanbaru City Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued an appeal no. 02/MUI-PBR/III/2020 which essentially invites Muslims to obey the government's recommendations, and encourages worship at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, traditional leaders through the Riau Malay Traditional Institute (LAM) issued a LAMR Notice of Declaration with number 09/WARKAH/LAMR/IV/2020. This paper contains 11 basic points that are of concern in the context of handling COVID-19 in Pekanbaru. One of the focuses of LAM Riau is integration and involvement in handling COVID-19 as reflected in the values of local wisdom in the Malay lands, namely " tali berpilin tiga atau tiga tungku sejerangan, seiya-sekata – seayun langkah – seciap bak ayam, sedencing bak besi ". This means that in handling COVID-19 synergy and integration are needed between the government, religious scholars, and traditional leaders (tali bapilin tigo/tiga tungku sajarangan) in preventing and overcoming the impact of COVID-19 in Pekanbaru.

Solidarity in Handling COVID-19

Aspects that tend to be forgotten in policies for handling COVID-19 are the psychological conditions of the community, health workers and patients exposed to COVID-19. According to (Brooks et al., 2020), the psychological impact due to COVID-19 occurs when the regional quarantine is carried out and causes stress after the quarantine policy is implemented. During the quarantine or PSBB period, as was implemented in Pekanbaru, the psychological condition of the community was disrupted with a fairly high level of depression because they could not freely earn a living and meet their families. Meanwhile, after the quarantine policy was completed, the community was faced with financial problems such as financial losses. Financial problems and the ongoing spread of COVID-19 will continue to "haunt" and will continue to cause public anxiety.

Furthermore, the condition that is more concerning is the psychological condition of the health workers who treat COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 nurses with long periods of time cannot meet with their families because the nurses are staying at several designated hotels. At the same time, their psychological resilience is tested in the face of the dangers of contracting COVID-19. This psychological pressure multiplies when there is a negative stigma from society.

Negative stigma is also experienced by COVID-19 patients because the community still thinks that the patient is still infected even though a PCR swab has been carried out and the results are negative. People are avoiding COVID-19 patients and social life is no longer harmonious. However, the opposite condition occurred for a COVID-19 patient in Pekanbaru who received attention and support from family, neighbors and the surrounding community, giving rise to positive energy for COVID-19 patients.

About these facts, it is clear that in handling COVID-19, solidarity between people is needed which can be interpreted as a form of concern, and empathy, and raises group awareness. This solidarity is a character of the Indonesian nation which is much needed in facing difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Empathy and concern need to be developed in "fighting" COVID-19 and its impacts.

Solidarity is shown not only in the form of material assistance such as the distribution of staple foods, masks, hand sanitizers, and donations for health workers but requires moral support for COVID-19 patients while in isolation and not trying to isolate and distance them from social life. The same thing is also done for health workers who tirelessly carry out their responsibilities by continuing to provide support and appreciation.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, solidarity is also needed in dealing with the economic impact of COVID-19. The solidarity needed starts at the local level to restore economic conditions due to COVID-19 by working hand in hand to help the businesses of communities affected by COVID-19 and providing assistance to underprivileged communities. The crisis caused by COVID-19 has taught us one thing, namely to build and strengthen solidarity.

Stimulus as an Effort to Encourage Resilience in Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic

Finally, the policy model for handling COVID-19 is to provide a stimulus to the whole community. The stimulus referred to in this context is the fiscal stimulus carried out by the government in lightening the burden on society during a pandemic. (Elgin et al., 2020) in their study emphasizes the importance of stimulus as a response to a pandemic. Furthermore, (Ing & Vadila, 2020) explain that there are several forms of stimulus implemented by the Indonesian government in handling COVID-19, namely (1) allocating a budget to mitigate economic impacts; (2) tax incentives; and (3) pre-employment cards to deal with unemployment problems.

The distribution of this stimulus from the Indonesian government was also felt by the people of Pekanbaru City as was carried out by the Pekanbaru City Manpower Office which proposed 25,000 workers in the informal sector and MSMEs to receive stimulus from the government (Pekanbaru.go.id, accessed 1 November 2020). Meanwhile, 7,888 MSMEs have passed verification to get assistance from the central government.

Furthermore, the Pekanbaru city government followed the national stimulus policy by issuing Mayor Regulation Number 82 of 2020 concerning exemption from local taxes and eliminating regional tax administrative sanctions during the handling of COVID-19 in Pekanbaru City. The Pekanbaru city government provides land and building tax (PBB) relief, and tax exemptions for restaurant taxpayers. Meanwhile, taxpayers can also receive stimulus in the form of installments, delays, and the elimination of administrative sanctions such as entertainment tax objects, advertisements, non-PLN street lighting taxes, and other taxes according to Perwako Number 82 of 2020.

The stimulus provided by the government and the local government aims to help the community in lightening their economic burden in facing difficult times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This stimulus is very beneficial for the survival of the community and great hope in building the future of the community. Meanwhile, on the regional government side, this stimulus is useful as a driving force in increasing regional economic growth.

The policy model for handling COVID-19 needs to be carried out comprehensively by involving multi-stakeholders and multi-sectors by paying attention to the dimensions of prevention, integration, developing solidarity, and providing stimulus. The Prevention, Integration, Solidarity, and Stimulus models for handling COVID-19 can be seen in the image below:

Figure 3

PISS Policy Model in Handling COVID-19

Source: Results processed by researchers (2020)

CONCLUSION

Prevention, Integrative, Solidarity, and Stimulus (PISS) approach. Prevention is focused on the health aspect by breaking the chain of transmission of COVID-19. Integrative means that national, regional, and local policies must be integrated and not counterproductive to one another. Solidarity was developed to strengthen community, nation, and state relations in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Lastly, is providing stimulus to communities affected by COVID-19 as an effort to reduce the burden on society so they can survive during the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

REFERENCES

Brooks, S. K., Webster, R. K., Smith, L. E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N., & Rubin, G. J. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. The Lancet, 395(10227), 912–920.

Elgin, C., Basbug, G., & Yalaman, A. (2020). Economic policy responses to a pandemic: Developing the COVID-19 economic stimulus index. Covid Economics, 1(3), 40–53.

Gaskell, J., Stoker, G., Jennings, W., & Devine, D. (2020). Covid‐19 and the blunders of our governments: Long‐run system failings aggravated by political choices. The Political Quarterly, 91(3), 523–533.

Haitao, N., & Ali, H. (2021). The Role Of Banking And Government Policy On The Economic Sector During The COVID-19 Pandemic. Dinasti International Journal of Digital Business Management, 3(1), 161–169.

Harapan, H., Wagner, A. L., Yufika, A., Winardi, W., Anwar, S., Gan, A. K., Setiawan, A. M., Rajamoorthy, Y., Sofyan, H., & Mudatsir, M. (2020). Acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine in Southeast Asia: a cross-sectional study in Indonesia. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, 381.

Huberman, A. (2014). Qualitative data analysis a methods sourcebook.

Ifdil, I., Fadli, R. P., Suranata, K., Zola, N., & Ardi, Z. (2020). Online mental health services in Indonesia during the COVID-19 outbreak. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 51, 102153.

Ing, L. Y., & Vadila, Y. (2020). Safety net: Implementing Indonesia’s COVID-19 stimulus. East Asia Forum Quarterly, 12(2), 27–28.

Mahendradhata, Y., Andayani, N. L. P. E., Hasri, E. T., Arifi, M. D., Siahaan, R. G. M., Solikha, D. A., & Ali, P. B. (2021). The capacity of the Indonesian healthcare system to respond to COVID-19. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 649819.

Malahayati, M., Masui, T., & Anggraeni, L. (2021). An assessment of the short-term impact of COVID-19 on economics and the environment: A case study of Indonesia. EconomiA, 22(3), 291–313.

Mursalina, M., Masbar, R., & Suriani, S. (2022). Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Economic Growth of the Tourism Sector in Indonesia. International Journal of Quantitative Research and Modeling, 3(1), 18–28.

Nugraha, B., Wahyuni, L. K., Laswati, H., Kusumastuti, P., Tulaar, A. B. M., & Gutenbrunner, C. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia: Situation and challenges of rehabilitation medicine in Indonesia. Acta Medica Indonesiana, 52(3), 299–305.

Olivia, S., Gibson, J., & Nasrudin, R. an. (2020). Indonesia in the Time of Covid-19. Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 56(2), 143–174.

Suryahadi, A., Al Izzati, R., & Suryadarma, D. (2020). Estimating the impact of covid-19 on poverty in Indonesia. Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 56(2), 175–192.

Susanna, D. (2020). When will the COVID-19 pandemic in indonesia end? Kesmas: Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat Nasional (National Public Health Journal), 15(4).

Susilawati, S., Falefi, R., & Purwoko, A. (2020). Impact of COVID-19’s Pandemic on the Economy of Indonesia. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute-Journal (BIRCI-Journal), 3(2), 1147–1156.

Tang, S. Y., & An, B. (2020). Responses to COVID-19 in China and the United States: How governance matters. The National Interest. Https://Nationalinterest. Org/Feature/How-Coronavirus-Exposing-Failed-Leadership-164264.

Žižek, S. (2020). Pandemic!: COVID-19 shakes the world. John Wiley & Sons.