Delhi restores fine for not wearing mask at public places
Darpan News Desk IANS, 22 Apr, 2022 11:49 AM
New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) The Delhi government on Friday evening reimposed the fine of Rs 500 for not wearing the mask in public places with immediate effect amid rising Covid cases in the city.
In a notification issued this evening, the Health Department said: "A fine of Rs 500 for not wearing of face mask and cover in all public places in Delhi will be imposed from immediate effect till further orders in compliance of notification dated February 26, 2022."
However, the fine will not be applicable to persons travelling together in private four-wheeler vehicles, the notification said.
The decision has been taken as the positivity rate of Covid-19 infection has reported an increasing trend from last few weeks in Delhi.
The decision of reimposing the fine has come after the Delhi government on Friday released the Special Operating Procedure (SOPs) to prevent the spread of Covid infection in schools.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had, in its meeting on Wednesday, decided to make masks mandatory in public places. The DDMA, after examining all relevant facts related to the penal provisions for not adhering to Covid-19 protocols of wearing masks in public places, decided to impose the fine with immediate effect.
High drama was witnessed on Thursday after 125 of 179 international passengers, who arrived at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport Rajasansi, near here, from Italy, in an Air India flight tested positive on arrival. The Covid passengers were asked to quarantine in local hospital as per the guidelines of the government.
On Wednesday, The Prime Minister's rally in Ferozepur had to be cancelled due to a security lapse after some protesters blocked a route and forced his convoy to spend about 20 minutes on a flyover. The Prime Minister was enroute the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala when the incident happened.
Although the department has all infrastructural needs in place to deal with the large number of cases expected in case of the third wave becoming a reality, he also appealed to the people to get themselves fully vaccinated against the virus as it is the most potent tool to avoid Covid-19.
Regretting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to cancel his scheduled visit to Ferozepur midway, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said on Wednesday that there was no security lapse that led to the cancellation of the Prime Ministers visit to the bordering town.
Holding the Punjab government squarely responsible for the "gross security lapse" during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Punjab, that eventually led to cancellation of all his programmes, former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday demanded dismissal of the government and imposition of President's rule.
With the spike in Covid-19 cases, Punjab on Tuesday imposed statewide night curfew daily from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and ordered closure of all educational institutions till January 15.
