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Indonesians in East Java Reportedly Ordered to Dig COVID-19 Graves After Breaking Face Mask Laws

© REUTERS / AJENG DINAR ULFIANAA woman wearing a protective face mask and a face shield walks past a banner depicting Indonesian President Joko Widodo promoting awareness of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Tanah Abang Station, in Jakarta, Indonesia, September 14, 2020.
A woman wearing a protective face mask and a face shield walks past a banner depicting Indonesian President Joko Widodo promoting awareness of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Tanah Abang Station, in Jakarta, Indonesia, September 14, 2020. - Sputnik International
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According to local authorities, the measure is aimed at deterring other citizens from breaking coronavirus-induced restrictions amid a rise in new infections registered in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

A district head in the Indonesian province of East Java has ordered eight people to dig graves at a public cemetery destined for coronavirus victims as "punishment" for not wearing protective masks, The Jakarta Post reported.

According to reports citing Suyono, the district head, there were "only three gravediggers available" so he decided to assign mask violators to "assist them", but added that they were relieved from participating in the burial. 

So far, Indonesia has confirmed a total of 221,523 COVID-19 cases, including 8,841 fatalities, according to the Johns Hopkins University count. 

The country is reimposing COVID-19 restrictions in Jakarta after a surge in the number of virus cases was registered there. As of Monday, the capital has reported more than 54,200 coronavirus cases, while the death toll is nearing 1,400.

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