COVID Upsurge: Penalty For Not Wearing Mask Doubled In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Friday revised the penalty amount for not wearing a mask in public places from Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 for the first or second offence. The violators will have to pay Rs 5000 for subsequent offence.

The fine amount was doubled following Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s address to the people of Odisha earlier in the day. The CM had announced 14-day Mask Abhiyan to contain the spread of the virus in the state. He also said that violators will now have to cough up double the amount as fine for not wearing a mask in public places.

Also Read: [Watch] Odisha CM Announces 14-Day Mask Abhiyan To Break COVID-19 Infection Chain

“I have directed the administration and police to fine those not wearing mask in public places. The government has decided to double the penalty amount,” he said.

Everyone has to wear a mask irrespective of being vaccinated or not, he added.

Odisha has been witnessing a surge in cases for the past few weeks. The number crossed the 1000-mark on Friday with 1282 people testing positive for the virus. This is the biggest spike in the last five months. The Odisha capital has been reporting over 100 cases for the last four days.

Also Read: COVID-19 Second Wave: Sundargarh & Khurda Emerging Hotspots In Odisha