‘Ghosts patrols’ scare people into staying home

Spirited performers: Volunteers Deri Setyawan and Septian Febriyanto sitting on a bench as they play the role of ‘pocong’ outside the gate of Kepuh village in Sukoharjo, Central Java. — Reuters

KEPUH village has been haunted by ghosts recently – mysterious white figures jumping out at unsuspecting passersby, then gliding off under a full-moon sky.

The village on Java island has deployed a cast of “ghosts” to patrol the streets, hoping that the age-old superstition will keep people indoors and safe from Covid-19.