Mask compulsory in Delhi again, Rs 500 fine for violators; schools to continue physical classes

By Team Newsable | First Published Apr 20, 2022, 1:19 PM IST

The decision comes as the national capital is again witnessing a spike in the number of daily Covid-19 cases.

Amid an uptick in Covid-19 cases, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has made masks mandatory in public places again. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday made wearing of masks mandatory and imposed a fine of Rs 500 for violation, according to officials cited by PTI.

However, on Tuesday itself, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the government is not planning to impose a fine for not wearing face masks in Delhi. Sisodia had mentioned, “We need to learn to live with Covid-19 as it will stay longer; we will take strict actions if the cases spike more.”

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“As of now, there is no need to panic as there are lower counts in the cases, and a meeting has been scheduled with the experts and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on April 20, for knowing how do they see the ongoing Covid-19 situations,” he added.

The DDMA also directed authorities to begin aggressive testings across the city.

The decision comes as the national capital is again witnessing a spike in the number of daily Covid-19 cases. Schools will continue physical classes, the authority decided, but SOPs will have to be issued for better management. There will be no ban on social gatherings but a close watch will be there on all kinds of congregations.

The Delhi government had removed the mask requirement earlier this month. In the light of recent surge, however, experts have said that masks need to be enforced strictly.

On Tuesday, Delhi reported 632 fresh Covid-19 cases with the positivity rate of 4.42%. On Monday, the daily tally was 501, while the positivity rate was 7.72%.

Between April 11 and 18, Delhi witnessed a nearly three-fold rise in the number of daily Covid cases, making the situation a cause for concern at a time when Delhi lifted the mask mandate like many other states. Doctors were divided over the decision of lifting the mask mandate as they were of the opinion that vulnerable groups of people should never do away with the mask.

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