Ternate’s Stuttering COVID-19 Response: Forcing a New Normal (1)

Independen -- The government have officially announced their first COVID-19 positive case in North Maluku province on March 23, 2020. However, the public suspected that the virus had already entered the region days before.

On March 7, for example, one of the residents had already been assigned the status as a suspect or ODP for having a travel history from Jakarta to Ternate. The resident was immediately referred to the RSUD Chasan Boesoirie Ternate state hospital—the only hospital in the province for COVID-19 response, to undergo treatment.

At the hospital, medical workers took some specimens for further testing in Jakarta. Ironically, before the result came out, on March 21, the patient was discharged and returned to his home in Central Ternate subdistrict. According to the hospital, his condition had improved, and had passed the incubation period of 14 days.

Funeral procession of a dead COVID-19 patient in Ternate using the Covid-19 protocol. (Faris Bobero)

However, just two days later, on March 23, the RSUD Chasan Boesoirie Ternate state hospital medical team with one ambulance unit and complete personal protective equipment (PPE) suddenly came to pick the patient up at his rented house. He was put on isolation at the hospital because the lab result from Jakarta showed that he had been positive with COVID-19, making him the official Patient 01 in Ternate.

For the two days he had spent at home, Patient 01 had conducted physical contact with his son and daughter. His 24-year old son was tested positive on April 8, while the test result for his wife came out negative.

“Because his physical condition has improved and it has been 14 days, we decided to send him home. But when [his test] result came out positive, a medical team picked him up again with the standard health procedure using complete PPE,” explained dr. Rosita Alkatiri, spokesperson to the North Maluku COVID-19 Response Acceleration Task Force in a press conference at Sahid Bela Hotel Ternate, Monday (23/3/2020).

Separately, Patient 01 admitted that he had felt intimidated when North Maluku Covid-19 Task Force came to his rented house to pick him up.

“I was embarrassed because [the hospital] already declared that I have recovered, but suddenly officers came to pick me up using complete PPE. I was ashamed because many of my neighbors were watching, and afraid that they will stay away from my son and family,” he said, shakily over the phone on March 26.

Not long after Patient 01 was announced, the city of Ternate as the gateway to North Maluku province had to act. Ternate city administration and North Maluku provincial administration immediately devised an early intervention strategy and a pandemic response. Such as applying the health protocol, use of facial mask, installation of handwashing facilities in public spaces, to crowd restriction. The regional government at that time considered these steps to be effective in overcoming the Coronavirus.

However, the reality was the number of victims keeps increasing. On April 8, regional state officials declared an increase in positive cases and announced the Patient 02. Then on April 15, another two new cases emerged.

Amidst the government’s jumbled response, on April 22, Chairperson of Ternate’s Covid-19 Accelerated Task Force M. Arif Abdul Gani deployed his officers to spray liquid disinfectant on many crowded locations such as markets, roads, houses of worship, residential, and city parks.

However, this effort is considered not optimal because every week, there is an increase in new cases. For example, on April 28, Abdul Gani announced that the case number had grown to ten. Even so, he claimed that efforts to disseminate information on the prevention as well as treatment of the virus were already massively executed.

“We have already carried out all health procedures. In fact, we have issued a Mayoral Decree No. 13 of 2020 on the mandatory use of masks. But still, some people disobey that standard procedure,” said Gani.

A quick visit by Tandaseru to crowded areas such as shopping centers, government offices, public parks, mosques, markets, cafés, and other places found that there were enough handwashing facilities. However, there are still many people who do not wear masks outside.

“If there are those who have not used it, it is still reasonable because people are not used to today’s condition where they must wear masks everywhere, [and] wash their hands. We as regulators have to remind the public to abide by the protocols that have been set,” Abdul Gani explained.

Traders’ Cries of Protests at “Hygienic” Markets

In the middle of the crushing economic situation during the pandemic disaster, many traders at the Bahari Berkesan Hygienic Market in Gamalama hamlet, Ternate, are starting to feel overwhelmed by Covid-19 health protocols. Hundreds of them decided to throw a massive wave of protests on May 3.

Nurhayati, one of the traders at the market who participated in the protest, said that she and her colleagues questioned Ternate Municipality’s policy limiting the number of traders in the market. While in the meantime, the access to and from Sultan Babullah Ternate airport remained open.

A trader protesting the Ternate municipality during the pandemic. (Zulkifli Ahmad Yusuf)

“We are prohibited from selling in the market while the Babullah Ternate Airport remained operational. We are not carrying the virus. Those with the virus are people outside of Ternate,” complained Nurhayati.

Contradicting the protest, Ternate Secretary Thamrin Alwi claimed that the rally itself had been driven by the relocation of several traders. Alwi believed those traders were the real reason behind the protest.

“There are traders who do not want to be moved. During this pandemic, the Bahari Berkesan Hygienic Market is being rearranged so that there are fewer crowds,” Alwi explained.

Regarding the Sultan Babullah Ternate Airport, he also claimed that the airport is the main gateway for people from outside the region, even though during the past month, the number of COVID-19 cases have reached 99 people.

“We cannot close the airport. Unless there is an instruction from the central [government] to close the airport, then we will ask that it be closed,” said Alwi. He also asserted that closing and opening an airport is the Central Government’s authority, namely the Ministry of Transportation.

Amid the waves of protests, COVID-19 cases in North Maluku continues to rise. The condition even forced the celebration of Eid al-Fitr 1441 Hijri (Islamic Year) on May 24 to follow standard health protocol.

Implementing the New Normal

Although, by June 4, the number of COVID-19 cases in Ternate had reached 113 patients, Ternate Mayor Burhan Abdurahman still insisted on implementing the “New Normal” way of life on June 5. With the new normal, the government allows all shopping centers, restaurants, movie theatres, and cafes to open even though the transmission of the coronavirus had created local clusters in Ternate.

Handwashing facilities are now easier to find in public places. However, Coronavirus cases in Ternate continue to increase. (Tandaseru/Yunita Kaunar)

“With the implementation of the new normal, we remain obedient to the COVID-19 standard protocols. Always wear masks, maintain physical distance, handwashing and maintain the immune system to remain strong,” said the Mayor.

This policy garnered critics from many communities. They all think that the New Normal policy does not reflect a quick response to the crisis.

Public Health expert Ridwan Yamko from North Maluku Muhammadiyah university said that the increase in patient numbers showed that the Government has failed in responding to the outbreak. According to him, the current rapid test is no longer the best way to confirm whether a person has been infected by the Coronavirus.

“We are late in doing the swab test. And currently, the region has entered the local transmission phase, which means more people are at risk of being exposed to the virus," Yamko said on Tuesday (06/30/2020).

On July 1, Head of Field Research at the Association of Indonesian Epidemiologists (PAEI) North Maluku Irwan Mustafa said that several recommendations have been reviewed and met the requirements to be submitted to the Ternate Task Force for a Small Scale Social Restriction (PSBK), instead of the Large Scale Social Restriction (PSBB).

The application of PSBK targets at subdistricts or hamlets, which means an area that is deemed as red zones will subsequently be locked down, limiting the activities of the residents, and are prohibited from entering green zone areas. In the recommendation, Mustafa said, red zone areas include Central Ternate subdistrict, North Ternate South Ternate subdistrict, and the Ternate island. The green zone areas include the Moti island subdistrict, the Hiri island subdistrict, and the Batang Dua island subdistrict.

“The key scheme would be to activate subdistrict task force or at the RT/RW [community unit and neighborhood unit] levels as well as health officials at the Community Health Centers (Puskesmas) to monitor the red zone area,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Ternate COVID-19 Task Force’s Abdul Gani said on Tuesday (28/6/2020) that his team had deployed officers to stand guard on four seaports, namely the Bastiong port, Semut port, Ahmad Yani port, and Dufa-Dufa port. This, he claimed, to be one of the Task Force’s response efforts during the New Normal.

“We are preparing medical personnel. The BPBD [Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency] is guarding the entrances [to the city] so that everyone who enters Ternate has to have their body temperature checked, and everyone who enters or comes out of Ternate are registered,” Gani explained.

Confirmed COVID-19 Cases March-August 2020

Ternate COVID-19 Accelerated Response Task Force Spokesperson dr. Muhammad Sagaf reported the number of COVID-19 cases from March 23-31 was 1 case, then up to 20 patients during April 1-30, on May 1-30, the number of cases increased to 99. Since then, it has more than tripled from June 1-25 to 353 patients, and on July 1-26, it continues to grow to 616 COVID-19 patients.

To date, the number of COVID-19 cases in Ternate had reached 698, wherein 18 of them died. While for the North Maluku province, there are 1,691 cases. According to Sagaf, Ternate is the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in North Maluku.

Head of Ternate Health Office Nurbaity Rajabesi admitted on Thursday (07/09/2020) that positive cases in Ternate continue to rise despite all the efforts already made. She said that since the Coronavirus entered Ternate, her Office had facilitated as much as 1,200 PPE, and another 400 equipment still in storage. Also, the Health Office prepared as many as 5,000 rapid test kits.

The Central Government, through the North Maluku administration, had also provided the city with 1,060 rapid test equipment, which makes a total of 6,060. So far, the city has utilized 4,400 of the rapid test kits.

Reporter

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Yunita Kaunar