Track: Case Studies

Abstract

This article examines strategies to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic using a community development approach, namely Pemberlakuan Pembatasan Kegiatan Masyarakat (PPKM) mikro or Community Activity Restrictions at the micro level. This study was conducted in Malang City, East Java Province, Indonesia. This study found that this strategy has distributed greater authority to community members to participate in preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are two mechanisms that have been established to implement PPKM, which are the zoning system and the establishment of COVID-19 headquarters at the RT/RW level. This study found that PPKM has succeeded in reducing positive cases and preventing transmission of the coronavirus. The strategy of PPKM has replaced the prior strategy, which employed a top-down approach and relied on dominant agent roles, such as government, medical experts, politicians, public health officials, and economists. This strategy could be problematic because, in some cases, it has provided an ideal setting for authoritarian practices.