Coronavirus: Youth disguise themselves as ghosts to scare people into staying indoors

In an effort to ensure people do not come out of their homes amid coronavirus outbreak, a youth group in an Indonesian village dressed up as ghost to scare people into staying indoors.    

According to the details, instead of imposing the country-wide lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, the Indonesian president Joko Widodo urged people to practice social distancing and good hygiene.

In line with the directions of the president, some communities have decided to take measures into their own hands, imposing the ghostly patrols, lockdowns and restricting movement in and out of their village.

In Kepuh village on Java island, a group’s volunteers disguised themselves as ghosts and scare passersby to encourage social distancing, Mail Online reported

The volunteers thought that the age-old superstition will keep people inside their homes.

But when they first started appearing this month they had the opposite effect. Instead of keeping people in they bought them out to catch a glimpse of the apparitions as in Indonesian folklore they represent the trapped souls of the dead

The organisers have since changed tack, launching surprise pocong patrols, with village volunteers playing the part of the ghosts.

‘Residents still lack awareness about how to curb the spread of COVID-19 disease,’ said village head Priyadi.

He added, “They want to live like normal so it is very difficult for them to follow the instruction to stay at home.”

Indonesia has 4,557 coronavirus cases and 399 have died from the bug in the worst-hit Asian country outside of China.