*A village in Indonesia’s central Java province have recruited volunteers to dress up as ghosts to scare people into staying home during the coronavirus pandemic.
Indonesia’s leaders including President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) have not ordered a national lockdown. The capital Jakarta has ordered a two-week closure of offices, and banned gatherings of more than five people, and officials continue to urge individuals to practice social distancing and good hygiene. But citizens have not directly been ordered to stay at home, according to a VOA report. So some communities have turned to folklore to spook people into staying home during the coronavirus outbreak.
As noted by CNN, the “pocong” or “pochong,” is a ghost known by locals for haunting graveyards, and wears a burial shroud, tied in a knot at the head and feet. With their hands and feet bound in the shrouds, the volunteer ghosts have to hop around like bunnies.
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WATCH: This village in Indonesia is scaring people back into quarantine with “ghosts” https://t.co/O8xrlU6SbP pic.twitter.com/jQ738VfeDC
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 14, 2020
A youth group in the village of Kepuh, in central Java, recruited volunteer ghosts to patrol the streets and with the hope of frightening locals to stay home. But the initiative, which was in cooperation with local police, is having the opposite effect, as the plan has become a social media sensation. Locals are venturing out of their homes to see the ghosts.
“First of all, we want to be different. Secondly, to create a deterrent effect because ‘pocong’ is spooky and scary,” said the head of the youth volunteer group, Anjar Pancaningtyas. “Since we set up the pocong roadblock, the environment of the village has become more conducive [to the idea of staying inside],” he added.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has declared the coronavirus outbreak a national disaster but has not issued a full national lockdown.
Creative!
Social distancing for #coronavirus gets a supernatural twist in Indonesia ??. “Ghosts” are patrolling the streets to scare people to stay at home. ?— Erik Solheim (@ErikSolheim) April 14, 2020
According to figures from Johns Hopkins University, Indonesia has recorded 399 coronavirus deaths.
“Local residents still lack of awareness on how to curb the spread of Covid-19 disease,” Kepuh village head Priyadi, told Reuters. “They want to live like normal so it is very difficult for them to follow the stay home instruction.”
As Ramadan approaches, researchers at the University of Indonesia predict there could be 140,000 deaths and 1.5 million cases by May, according to Reuters, if more restrictive measures are not taken to curb the spread of the virus.
WATCH:
A village in Indonesia has deployed ‘ghosts’ to patrol the streets and scare people into staying home https://t.co/o4pHwT0kfr pic.twitter.com/SdduNXHEpi
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 13, 2020
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