Testing the Role of Socioeconomic Levels and Government Policies in Spreading Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in ASEAN

Abstract : Although there has been an enormous scientific attempt to understand the transmission of COVID‐19, there are many knowledge gaps yet to be filled. This study aims to investigate the role of socioeconomic level and government response in the spread of COVID-19. The socioeconomic level is represented by gross domestic product, population density, and multidimensional poverty index. Meanwhile, government policies are characterized by a stringency index, and the incidence rate represents the spread of COVID. Using a sample of 10 ASEAN countries, from March 28, 2020, to July 30, 2021, the results show a positive relationship between socioeconomic level and the incidence rate of COVID-19 in communities, meaning socioeconomic factors are the determinant of the incidence rate of COVID-19. In addition, there is a significant negative relationship between the stringency index and the incidence rate, revealing that the more stringent policy was, the less COVID spread