The Importance of Communication and Education in Handling COVID-19

Detiktoday.com – Head of the West Java COVID-19 Task Force for the Acceleration of Countermeasures Ridwan Kamil stated that communication, socialization, and education were very important in handling COVID-19 in West Java. Thus, the provincial task force conveys information to the public with a variety of content.

“We produce thousands of content. Graphics, videos, and others to be part of education (to the public),” said Kang Emil – greeting Ridwan Kamil – while speaking at the West Java Indonesian Association of Communication Studies (ISKI) Association webinar to -5 at Pakuan Building, Bandung City, Thursday (7/9/20).

Kang Emil said that he had opened an information service via PIKOBAR (West Java COVID-19 Information and Coordination Center). Through this service, the public can ask questions related to handling COVID-19. That way, the provincial task force knows what information the community needs.

Since 18 March 2020, PIKOBAR received 123,000 questions from the public. The questions asked were dominated by massive tests and social assistance. About 97 percent of these questions have been answered.

“The topic asked every week is different. For example, from 28 June to 4 July 2020 about the massive COVID-19 test, distribution of social assistance, and the Sapa Warga account. That became the top complaint. In PIKOBAR itself the biggest complaint is related to the Ministry of Social, provincial, and so on cash assistance, “he said.

Kang Emil ensured that his office held true to transparency, especially data regarding the handling of COVID-19 and social assistance. In addition, the provincial task force innovates using race chart technology to simplify complicated COVID-19 data. The aim is to make it easier for the public to read the data.

“We are innovating on public communication presentations. Because COVID-19 has too many indexes, it’s complicated, so we make it easy with simple communication techniques, “he said.

“Example to measure the shift in the number of positive cases we use communication technology called race charts. This race chart usually counts in a vulnerable period of time a statistical movement, “he added.

Media monitoring, said Kang Emil, is routinely carried out by the provincial task force. The aim is to find out events on the ground through reporters’ reports.

“We are monitoring the media. Negative events, we trace, we repair, and hopefully (the same event) does not happen again, “said Kang Emil.