Kerala Mandates That Masks Be Worn In Public
Update: 2022-06-28 12:45 IST
Face Mask (Representative image)
As of Tuesday, the Kerala Government mentioned the need to wear masks in public areas, gatherings, workplaces, and while travelling. Additionally, it said that the Disaster Management Act has penalties for violating the mask requirement.
Following an increase in Covid instances in the state, the decision was made. On Monday, the state reported close to 3000 new Covid cases, 12 fatalities, and a test positivity rate (TPR) of 18.33%. In the previous 133 days, this TPR was the highest to be reported.
When the cases began to increase on April 27 following the collapse of the third wave, which was led by Omicron in the months of January and February, the government had already issued a similar order. The police didn't impose a fine for the infringement, and the penalty was rarely invoked. This time, the state police chief gave distinct orders to each district police chief about the enforcement of the mask requirement.
Prior to the mandate's revocation, the state assessed a fine of Rs 500 for failing to wear a mask. Beginning on April 7, the authorities dropped all containment measures, including crowd control measures, when the third wave faded.The fine for not donning a mask was also removed, but the recommendation for mask use and good hand hygiene persisted.
Meanwhile, in the past 24 hours, the nation recorded 96,700 active cases and 11,793 new Covid cases.