Residents of Central Java province who are violating the quarantine rules are being compelled to stay in haunted houses ordered by official authorities. Coconuts Jakarta reported that many people escaped the lockdown and returned to the villages located at Sragen Regency in Central Java. The people who are suspected to carry coronavirus are kept under surveillance in order to curb the spread of infection.
Authorities are constantly warning these people to stay at home for at least 14 days. Instead of charging fines or sending them to jails, Regent of Sragen, Kusdinar Untung Yuni Sukowati, decided to send violators to haunted or abandoned buildings.
According to Tribunnews, villagers suggested to quarantine these people in abandoned elementary schools or abandoned houses if they do not follow self-isolation orders, said Kusdinar. "I gave my permission. If need be, they should be locked inside — in a haunted house if necessary. But we'd still feed them and monitor them."
Residents locked inside abandoned house
Two Plupuh residents who violated the isolation orders have been barred inside the abandoned house. The house is known to be haunted by the locals and is located in the middle of rice paddy. Kusdinar did not mention how long violators will be kept inside. Officials informed that one of the reasons behind opting for abandoned buildings to isolate the violators is there is no proper quarantine facility in the region.
Indonesia reported a sharp drop in the number of new cases and deaths due to coronavirus illness. Country recorded 185 new cases and eight deaths on Monday taking the total number of cases to 6,760 with 590 fatalities. It recorded its highest number of 407 daily cases on April 17 so far.
Indonesia comes under one of the few countries that did not impose nationwide lockdown where millions of people are still travelling to work. Police and military have got freehand from President Jodo Wikodo to punish people under surveillance (ODP) and patients under observation (PDP) who break the quarantine rules.
"The president has instructed medical workers, assisted by the Indonesian Military and the National Police, to take measures against people in the ODP and PDP categories who ignore the restrictions," said Doni Monardo, head of the National Coronavirus Task Force.
