Image via Kesongo Hamlet //

Creative to say the least…

It’s safe to say the general population isn’t at all happy with the social distancing laws we’re currently living under. Although they’re completely valid measures, it’s still hard adjusting to new life under the laws, with countless people all over the world breaking social distancing regulations in an attempt to reclaim a little bit of their old lives.

But villagers in an Indonesian village are definitely staying indoors, with authorities in the Kepuh village on the Java island deploying a group of “ghosts” to patrol the streets, in an attempt to keep citizens inside and stop the spread. The figures are based on ancient superstitious creatures called “pocong”, which are ghostly figures in Indonesian folklore that represent trapped souls of the deceased.

The drastic measures appear to be quite necessary at this stage, with Indonesia reportedly having the highest rate of coronavirus deaths in Asia after China. Yet, President Joko Widodo has decided against a national lockdown.

“We wanted to be different and create a deterrent effect because ‘pocong’ are spooky and scary,” head of village youth group Anjar Pancaningtyas said to Reuters.

“Since the pocong appeared, parents and children have not left their homes,” a resident said. “And people will not gather or stay on the streets after evening prayers.”

Kudos to the geniuses behind the idea, as it seems to really be working. Here’s hoping we don’t see any “pocong” in Australia any time soon…