Indonesia: Face masks violators ordered to dig graves for COVID-19 victims

A group of people in Indonesia were made to dig graves for COVID-19 victims after they were found violating health safety protocols. According to a report in Tribun News, eight people were asked to dig graves at the funeral of coronavirus victims at Ngabetan village in the Cerme district after they were seen roaming without face masks at public places. 

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The Cerme sub-district head Suyono told the media organisation that there were only three people for digging graves at the local cemetery so he asked the violaters to join them. He further added that the punishment should serve as a deterrent to people who break rules. According to the report, the eight people were divided into groups of two to dig graves but were not ordered to touch the dead bodies or participate in funeral services keeping in mind the risk of transmission. 

Read: Poor Health Rules, Low Virus Testing In Indonesia

Hardest-hit region

The Cerme district falls in the Indonesian province of East Java, which is the second-most affected region in terms of cases after the capital Jakarta. According to the Indonesian health department, East Java province has recorded more than 38,000 cases and 2,800 deaths to date, more deaths than any other region in the country. Media reports suggest that the region with a population of over 40 million people is struggling to provide burial slots to COVID-19 victims and there are very few people to dig graves. 

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Indonesia currently has over 2,25,000 confirmed infections and nearly 9,000 deaths, with Jakarta alone reporting over 58,000 cases. The country has seen an exponential rise in cases in the past couple of weeks and many COVID-19 hospitals have been occupied to its fullest capacity, triggering a shortage of beds, particularly in Jakarta. Meanwhile, the world has registered over 29 million cases so far and is nearing one million deaths rapidly.  

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(Image Credit: AP)