If I Were a President of Indonesia, This is What I Would Do

Government's Efforts

Covid-19 has affected a total of 203 countries. Each country has their own way of dealing with Covid-19. Japan does not apply lockdown but rather restricts the movement of its citizens. Just like Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong also only restricts the movement of citizens. These countries also conducted anyone who has done anything with those who tested positive for contracting COVID-19. Indonesia's government has also put efforts to limit the spread of Covid-19 in Indonesia. These efforts include rapid tests, social distancing, providing Avigan and Chloroquine, and large-scale social restriction. 

Increasing cases in Indonesia? 

Despite those efforts that Indonesia's government does, why do the covid-19 cases continue to increase? To answer that, we should check each effort that the government does and see which one is ineffective. First, we have rapid tests that started on 20 March 2020. The president seems more interested in imitating South Korea's way of handling COVID-19, which is doing a rapid test not lockdown. Rapid test is a method of rapid examination to see an infection in the body. There are various ways that rapid tests can be done. But in the case of COVID-19, Indonesia will use the IgG and IgM examination methods taken from blood samples. 

There is a positive note taken from this rapid test which is the test results will be found in less than two minutes, which means faster identification of the affected and faster response for further steps that the medical staff will do. There are still some critics from a number of people. First of all, this method is considered too late. 

The second critic is the accuracy of the rapid test that is questioned by the public. Then why does it work in South Korea? South Korea succeed in limiting the spread of the virus by several efforts and one of the prominent one is by doing rapid tests. The answer to that is simply because the government is too late to take this step. South Korea's government uses rapid tests before the cases reach the 31st case. Meanwhile, Indonesia's government used this method when the cases had reached hundreds. The effectiveness of this method will surely differ. 

The second method Indonesia's government does is by social distancing and large scale social restriction. There are some proposals to use the lockdown method or the territory quarantine, but those proposals are declined by the government. Actually the large scale social restriction could work if the citizens comply to the government's appeals. 

However, public participation-an important factor-has not been maximized. Several countries succeed in using large scale social restriction like South Korea because their public participation is really maximized. This should be something that citizens should understand and work together to limit the spread of the virus for a better cause. This method could be done, but the government needs to actively oversee the implementations. 

Third method would be providing Avigan and Chloroquine which is a good move by the government. Avigan and Chloroquine are proven to be able to cure covid-19 and it's great to know the government made the initiative to provide for this cure. If the government continues providing these cures, there are going to be better chances of those who are infected to heal. 

If I were president, what would I do? 

After reviewing each method that the government uses and see the pros and cons, this is what I'll do to fight covid-19. Prevention, effectiveness and timing would be my keywords for the methods that I'll use.