Mexican government hires wrestlers to use unique methods on those not following Covid guidelines

Trying to get people to wear masks in public places has perhaps been one of the most frustrating things about the pandemic. No matter how bad the situation gets, some people still refuse to wear a face covering.

Well, the government in Irapuato, a city in Guanajuato, Mexico has taken an unorthodox approach to anyone who is seen not wearing a mask in indoor public places.

A group of wrestlers, or luchadors, as there are known in Mexico have been hired by the government to spread Covid-19 awareness and hand out masks and reprimand anyone who is not following the safety guidance.

In videos shared by the official Irapuato government account, the wrestlers who are reportedly called Lepra, Moco, Gargajo, Costal Clown, and García Jr, who are an intimidating bunch, can be seen marching around as a group on the streets and in an indoor market.

Although everything seems all fun and jolly, all considering, things soon get out of hand when one of the wrestlers notices a man not wearing a mask. Rather than stopping him and giving him a stern talking to the masked wrestler throws a chair at the man, flooring him in an instant.

The man didn’t seem to hurt and quickly put a mask on. In another clip, the wrestler, who is identified as Lepra, is shouting at a man, who looks very scared for not wearing his mask. Needless to say, he quickly obligies.

The tweets translate as; “In the style of fighters, Lepra invites citizens to use their mask to take care of themselves and to be able to break the chain of Covid19 infections. Don't risk finding them, better put it on. We all want the Covid19 infections to end and each one, in their own way, seeks to raise public awareness that the use of a mask will help us improve the situation. Heed the advice of Lepra. Don't wait for it to happen to you.”

Thankfully if you take a look at a few of the other videos, the wrestlers appear to be quite nice and are very Covid-conscious which is great to see.

Wrestling is a major pastime in Mexico, and the vast majority of competitors wear masks, so you would hope that some people would want to emulate their idols rather than feel their wrath.

To be honest, we can’t see their aggressive methods catching on and the approach has divided opinions but sometimes people just need to be told to ‘put on your mask.’

More: The four key lessons from Covid that should shape policy decisions everywhere