At least 15 people contracted coronavirus after they ignored advice and opened the coffin of a loved one who died from the virus to carry out a cleansing ritual.
The mourners took part in the funeral procession in the village of Jati in Indonesia, following the death of the victim two weeks ago.
Nur Ahmad Syaifudin, the acting regent of Sidoarjo, said that the patient's body was wrapped in plastic and placed in a wooden coffin before being handed over to loved ones.
He added: "The relatives and neighbours of the deceased opened the plastic wrap on the deceased body and even bathed the body.
"That is so careless."
According to local media, friends and family snubbed protocols from the health authority to stop the spread of the killer bug which has claimed the lives of 1,221 people in Indonesia.
The incident prompted the region's virus task force to carry out contact tracing in the village where they found that at least 15 people have been infected with Covid-19.
Meanwhile dozens of other people have been listed as patients under surveillance (PDP), according to local media.
According to Syaifudin, the satellite regency of Sidoarjo saw 45 new cases on May 16, the highest daily increase since the pandemic began.
He confirmed that the village has been partially closed to prevent further spread.
Syaifudin told local media: "We have strictly limited access from and to the village. We have also ordered the mosque there not to conduct mass prayers."
Islamic religious law request that a body be buried as soon as possible, proceeded by a simple ritual in which the body is bathed before being put in a shroud.
Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population with approximately 225 million Muslims making up 87 per cent of the population.
According to reports, Sidoarjo is the second-hardest-hit region in East Java after Surabaya with 285 cases and 31 fatalities.
