Eight people in Indonesia who refused to wear a face covering in public were required by local authorities to help dig the graves for those who have died from complications due to COVID-19, The Jakarta Postreports.Â
Suyono, the head of the Cerme district, explained that this order is meant to not only be an eye-opening punishment for the eight men who cannot find it in themselves to just put on a mask, but it also serves as a warning to anyone else who chooses to defy the face covering rule in place in the province of East Java.Â
"There are only three available gravediggers at the moment, so I thought I might as well put these people to work with them,"Â Suyono said, noting that these anti-maskers were only tasked with assisting, and not handling burials. Two people were assigned to each grave, with one doing the digging while the other laid down the wooden board inside the hole.Â
"Hopefully this can create a deterrent effect against violations,"Â Suyono said.Â
The Jakarta Post points out that Regent Law No. 22/2020 states residents who violate the COVID-19 safety protocols could be subjected to a fine or community service. Indonesia has reported more than 218,000 coronavirus cases. 8,723 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.Â
