A nurse is under investigation at Indonesia for having gay sex with a COVID-19 patient in a hospital toilet, leaving PPE dispersed on the floor. The incident has created an uproar, for the country is hostile to LGBT rights. The sexual relationship between the two was revealed after the patient reportedly posted about the same on Twitter, sharing a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation. This was accompanied by a photo of the health worker’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), being scattered on the floor. Further investigations on the same are on, and as of now, the nurse is detained, for legal proceedings.

The number of coronavirus cases is increasing rapidly in Indonesia in the past months, since the outbreak began. The government is currently working on distributing COVID-19 vaccines to the citizens. Amid the ongoing health crisis, the officials at the Wisma Atlet Emergency Hospital in Jakarta—an emergency facility for coronavirus patients were alerted about the latest incident about the gay nurse and their sexual relationship with a COVID-19 patient. Both of them were arrested, and tested before being handed to Central Jakarta Police. According to Indonesia Expat, the patient was tested to the hospital after it was confirmed that they still tested positive for the virus. And the health worker was taken to custody for further legal proceedings.

It is unclear on what are the charges against them. “It is true that there has been a suspected incident of a same-sex relationship between a health worker and a COVID-19 patient at the Wisma Atlet Emergency Hospital. Our response from the Indonesian National Nurses Association is that the alleged nurse must follow legal processing,” a representative for the Indonesian National Nurses Associated was quoted saying in the same report. Physics Teacher Had Sex with a 16-year-old Male Student in a Plane Toilet. 

LGBTQ+ rights in the country lag far behind. Same-sex sexual relations are legal in most parts of Indonesia. But queer people often face violence and stigma. Gay sex is reportedly not illegal in Jakarta, but more information on the reported incident is awaited.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 30, 2020 12:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).