Visakhapatnam: Mask drive sees 35,000 cases booked in a week

VISAKHAPATNAM: With Covid-19 on a rise across Visakhapatnam city, police started another mask enforcement drive a weeks ago. As part of this drive, locals seen without wearing masks are being fined by the authorities. The city had 1,200 active Covid-19 cases as on Saturday, accounting for 78% of the total active cases across the district. As many as 198 new cases and one death was recorded in the district on Saturday.
Additional commissioner (traffic) Ch Adinarayana Rao said since March 27, police began imposing fines on persons found violating Section 51 of the Epidemic Act by not wearing masks.The penalties are being imposed under all 23 police station limits in the city. “We have so far registered nearly 35,000 cases and collected fines of Rs 55 lakh from violators during our mask-enforcement drive,” Adinarayana told STOI.
Adinarayana said the fine is currently fixed at Rs 120 which includes a Rs 20 user charge. He said they have not started monitoring through surveillance cameras yet, which he said if commenced, may result in fines crossing the Rs 1 crore-mark. “We impose a penalty on the auto-rickshaw driver if his vehicle’s passengers are seen without masks while travelling. It is the auto-driver’s responsibility,” Adinarayana said.
“Mask and vaccination are two main options to contain this pandemic. I request police to concentrate on Vizag beach and morning walkers not wearing masks,” Covid-19 special officer for north coastal Andhra Pradesh Dr PV Sudhakar told STOI.