Three middle-aged men and five minors were given a unique sentence on Sept. 9 in the Serme district of Gresic Regency, East Java, officials said.
Although wearing a mask is mandatory in public in Indonesia, there has been a vocal segment of the population that is reluctant to wear a mask and practice social distance.
Experts say a lack of public vigilance has made it more difficult for Indonesian authorities to stop the spread of the virus, which is infecting about 230,000 people in the country to date. Of those, more than 160,000 have recovered, while at least 9,100 have died, according to Indonesia’s health ministry.
As cases have been on the rise in recent months, the Indonesian government passed a law in July requiring people to wear masks in public, but left it to local authorities to determine the punishment for non-compliance. A joint team called the “Three Pillars” – comprising the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the Indonesian National Police and local law enforcement – is tasked with enforcing mask restrictions across the country.
In Cerem, “three pillars” give people who do not wear masks the option to accept a fine of Rs ($ 10) or accept what the government calls “social punishment”, district leader Suyono said.
Suyono, who goes by one name, told CNN that most people have accepted social punishment, which often includes push-ups or cleansing. But he hopes alternatives such as digging graves will be educational and “show the real and serious impact of Covid-19 first.” Suyono said none of the convicts were present when the dead were buried.
Earlier this month, officials in the Jakarta capital took a similar approach. One person was required to sit in a coffin in public after being caught not wearing a mask.
However, it is not clear whether such fine mask-wear has increased in Indonesia. The country has failed to pinpoint the curve for months and infections are still on the rise – with more cases reported in the Philippines than in Southeast Asia.
Massive social sanctions were imposed in Jakarta on Sunday, for the second time since the epidemic began forcing authorities to do so.
With the case still pending, the city’s health infrastructure is crumbling. Emergency units at all 20 Jakarta hospitals approved to treat Kovid-19 patients are full, officials said Monday.
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