Covid 19 coronavirus: Mayor in Peru poses as corpse to beat lockdown laws

Torres tried faking his own death to avoid arrest. Photo / Policía Nacional del Perú

The mayor of a Peruvian town that was locked down to prevent the spread of coronavirus has been arrested after he was found lying in a coffin and posing as the corpse of a virus victim to avoid being caught by police.

Jaime Rolando Urbina Torres, the mayor of Tantara, had allegedly been drinking with friends in violation of Peru's social distancing laws.

When police arrived, he hopped in an open casket and was photographed by police in his best impersonation of a corpse, with arms stiffened.

He left his mask on.

Cops weren't convinced and arrested Torres, who was found to be intoxicated.

Torres tried faking his own death to avoid arrest. Photo / Policía Nacional del Perú

It was not immediately clear where Torres and friends were drinking or why there were open caskets nearby.

The arrest comes after Torres has reportedly faced criticism for his handling over the crisis.

Torres is alleged to have spent only eight days in Tantara since lockdown started on March 16 and failed to open emergency shelters for the community.

Peru has been hit hard by the pandemic, with over 104,000 confirmed cases and 3000 deaths.

Many New Zealanders became stuck in Peru when lockdown began and one Kiwi, Edward Storey, tragically died from Covid-19 after he couldn't get out.

Friends, colleagues and former schoolmates described Storey as a kind, caring, "beautiful soul".

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website