Mask Up Or Pay Hefty Fine

Mask Up Or Pay Hefty Fine

Odisha is fast slipping into the second wave of COVID 19 and the situation is getting grimer with every passing day. The new variants of the SARs-CoV-2 are spreading like wildfire. On Friday the number of COVID 19 positive cases jumped to 1282 from the previous day’s tally of 879. The only way to break the spread is by following appropriate behaviour. The Odisha government on Friday notified through a tweet that it has revised the penalty for people found without masks in public places. 

According to the notification by the State Health Department, violators will henceforth have to pay a fine of Rs 2,000 for violating the mask mandate for the first and the second time. At present, a fine of Rs 1,000 is charged on violators for the first and second offence. The fine for subsequent offenses will continue to remain Rs 5,000.

Last year, following a surge in infections, the fine amount for not wearing a mask in public places was increased from the initial Rs 500 to Rs 1,000. According to senior Odisha Police officials, action has been taken against 21,201 persons for violating Covid protocols in the State and a fine amounting to Rs. 51,69,350 collected in the past two days.

Earlier in the day, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a 14-day ‘Mask Abhiyan’ as part of the strategy to fight Covid-19. In a televised address, Patnaik said the fight against Covid-19 can be won even without imposing restrictions like lockdowns. However, wearing of masks and strict compliance of other Covid-19 norms is paramount to fight the spread of the virus.

“The second wave of coronavirus infection has started and it is spreading fast. Lockdown, shutdown and night curfew are being imposed in many parts of the country. However, if we follow Covid-19 guidelines and wear masks properly, we can stop the spread of the infection without imposing such harsh curbs. Therefore, we all will actively take part in the Mask Abhiyan for the next 14 days,” the CM said.