By Tim Binnall
In an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus, a city in India has enlisted a group of 'ghosts' to scare people into staying inside their homes at night. The supernatural solution to enforcing social distancing was reportedly the brainchild of officials in the community of Bhubaneswar in the Indian state of Odisha. Hoping to stress the importance of adhering to the lockdown, the city hired women to dress as 'spirits' and roam the streets at night.
While their appearance is undoubtedly spooky, what may be more unsettling is their overall performance as 'ghosts.' As can be seen in the videos below, the 'ghosts' methodically stalk down the street and occasionally unleash a truly terrifying shriek that echoes in the night. The unnerving parade of ghouls is not the first such instance of the paranormal and the pandemic crossing paths in a similar way as communities in Indonesia and Malaysia have also used faux ghosts to ensure that residents remain quarantined.