Indonesians found without masks to lie inside a coffin as punishment
- A new punishment has been invented in Indonesia for those who do not wear face masks
- The guilty culprits are forced to lie inside a coffin as a warning to what might happen if they do not protect themselves and others
- The naming and shaming of offenders as well as fines have been introduced to slow the spread of the virus
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Indonesia, one of the coronaviruses worst-hit countries in the Asian continent has come up with measures to deal with those ignoring the guidelines.
The country on Wednesday, September 2, announced individuals caught without wearing face masks will be forced to lie inside a coffin as a punishment.
According to Liputan News, the violators would lay in an open casket for some minutes to feel what it was like to be in there.
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According to Liputan News, the violators would lay in an open casket for some minutes to feel what it was like to be in there.
"However, the open casket idea is still a new concept as we are still experimenting whether this approach can help change the public perception towards wearing their face masks," said Budhy Novian, the head of public order agency.
The Asian nation had in the wake of the pandemic also introduced mandatory fines for the violators as well as community service work to contain spread of the virus.
The directive elicited a reaction from social media users and government critics.
“People are not scared of coffins, even couples are getting intimate in the graveyard,"a resident of Jakarta told BBC Asia.
Unconfirmed reports indicated the authorities were planning to backtrack and device better ways of creating COVID-19 awareness after the heavy backlash and criticism.
Each day, health officials conduct a mock funeral procession through the city of Jakarta as a reminder of how deadly the virus can be.
The empty coffin is used as a shock tactic to warn the public to the coronavirus risks.
Earlier, Briefly.co.za reported that Covid-19 corruption has been in the spotlight following the release of the Auditor-General's report detailing how prices were inflated, processes were flouted and a number of other irregularities were found.
Now, State Capture Inquiry Chair Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has weighed in on the situation, commenting that corruption during the pandemic was frightening.
In other news, police officials have been ordered to return illegally confiscated liquor taken under lockdown restrictions. Briefly.co.za explores the latest updates on the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa.
The Gauteng High Court has ordered police officials to return a large quantity of liquor confiscated during the lockdown.
Meanwhile, the recovery rate relating to the pandemic remains high at an encouraging 88%.
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Source: Briefly News
