Indonesian authorities are doling out an unusual punishment for those who don’t comply with the country’s strict mask rules: push-ups.
Viral footage has surfaced on social media of people, mostly European tourists, in Bali being made to do push-ups while masked officials watch on.
Wearing a face mask in public was made mandatory in Bali last September in a bid to stem the COVID-19 outbreak which was raging through Indonesia.
But, loads of foreigners have been caught disobeying the strict rule, Badung regency Public Order Agency chief I Gusti Agung Kerta Suryanegara said, according to The Straits Times.
Suryanegara said he had fined more than 70 people 100,000 rupiah ($9) for not wearing a mask, but about 30 people who could not pay were asked to do push-ups instead.
Those with no mask were asked to do 50 push-ups in the sweltering heat, while those who were wearing masks incorrectly had to do 15.
ABC News reported that 8,864 coronavirus health protocol violations had occurred in Bali up to this week.
“Most of [the offences] were not bringing their masks, not wearing them properly, and some businesses not applying health protocols,” Suryanegara told ABC News.
He said 80 per cent of those fined were European.
“Some foreigners were found walking on the beach, sitting in restaurants, and riding motorbikes without masks,” he said.
However, Suryanegara said those who were fined were particularly “naughty”.
“We didn’t fine those who had admitted their mistakes … we didn’t just fine people randomly because they didn’t wear masks,” he said.
“I’m not saying that Indonesians are well behaved, but fines were given as the [last resort], which means that [those who were fined] didn’t want to comply and were very defensive.”
