Under the blazing sun of Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, gravediggers in Pondok Rangon Public Cemetery wielded their shovel and dug into the ground. Since Jakarta reported its first COVID-19-related death in mid-March, the number of deaths has continuously risen and gravediggers could not event take for a break.As of Monday,April 26,2020, Indonesia has about 8.200 COVID-19 cases. The country has the highest fatality rate in Southeast Asia, at around 9 per cent.
The provincial government has ordered for those who died from COVID-19, as well as those suspected of being infected to be buried only in two public cemeteries – Pondol Rangon in East Jakarta and another in West Jakarta,Tegal Alur Public Cemetery. These are the cemeteries in the capital that still have space, said the government. There are about 80 gravediggers in the Pondok Rangon cemetery, who are paid by the Jakarta government.
They are usually divided into four teams. Each team is responsible for one specific task for a week, such as digging graves, cleaning up graves, mowing the lawn and cleaning sewer lines in the cemetery. The teams take turns every week to complete the four main jobs. But since COVID-19 broke out, Minar has been digging graves every day, even if his team was supposed to be assigned to other tasks. One grave takes up to two hours of digging,in this circumstances digs up to 20 graves maybe more .
A team of four usually work on one grave, but still, it is not an easy job. As it is believed that the coronavirus can linger on the body after one dies, the protocol is to have the burial done as soon as possible to minimise the risk of the virus spreading.
Gravediggers starts the day at 7am and finishes work at 6pm when the sun finally disappears below the horizon. Donned with personal protective equipment (PPE), they needs to carry the bodies out of the ambulance and bury them. Even they wearing personal protective equipment,gravediggers are still worries because COVID-19 is an infectious disease,and wearing the PPE in the heat of Jakarta is also challenging. They have to wear PPE for an hours.They is also fearful of bringing the virus back home.
