Indonesians caught not wearing masks in public have been ordered to dig graves for those who have died from Covid-19.
At least eight people in Cerme province, East Java, have undertaken the punishment, which is meant to deter others from flouting mandatory measures to stop the spread of the virus.
According to the Jakarta Post, officials in the province forced those violating local mask rules to assist grave diggers at a public cemetery in the local village of Ngabetan.
A local leader, named only as Suyono, said: “There are only three available gravediggers at the moment, so I thought I might as well put these people to work with them.”
He added: “Hopefully this can create a deterrent.”
In an effort to slow the rising number of cases in the country, the Indonesian Government has not been quiet about the dangers of the virus.
In the capital city of Jakarta, authorities display empty coffins at busy intersections to remind people to abide by social distancing rules and other preventative measures.
The coffins, placed beside mannequins in hazmat gear, read “Covid-19 victim”.
To date, there have been more than 232,000 cases of the virus in Indonesia , according to a global tally by Johns Hopkins University.
More than 9,200 people have died in the country. One British national has died of Covid-19 in Indonesia, according to the UK Foreign Office.
"The standard of local medical care in Indonesia can be poor and some medical tests cannot be done reliably," a spokesman said.
"As the Government of Indonesia announces rising numbers of Covid-19 cases, there is an increasing risk that the healthcare system will come under significant further strain. Access to routine and emergency healthcare may be limited."
