Wear Face Mask or Pay Rs 200 Fine? MCC Observes ‘MASK DAY’ to bring Awareness on Wearing Face Mask. Since two months, MCC had collected Rs 54800 in fines from people who were found not wearing face masks.
Mangaluru: While Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa marched from the state secretariat to Cubbon Park in Bengaluru to spread awareness about wearing masks as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, as part of Karnataka government observing ‘Mask Day’ today (18 June) in a bid to spread awareness among people to use the face cover to contain the spread of coronavirus- similarly here in the City, Mangaluru city Corporation also took a march from MCC office building until Empire Mall, and back to the MCC office building. ‘Mask Day’ was also observed at the DC Office, where DC Ms Rupesh Sindhu, Additional DC Ms Roopa, MCC Mayor Diwakar Pandeshwar and other district admin officials joined in the Awareness March.
MCC Commissioner Ajith Kumar Hegde, MCC Mayor Diwakar Pandeshwar, Deputy Mayor Ms Vedavathi, MCC Health Officer Dr A Manjayya Shetty, a bevy of MCC Engineers and office staff took part in March. But unfortunately, while these authorities were trying to bring awareness on wearing Face Mask, but during the March there was hardly any social distancing, which is another crucial measure advised by experts to check the spread of the deadly virus. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several occasions urged people, in his televised addresses, to maintain “Do Gaz Doori” at all costs- but does anyone care?
Speaking to Team Mangalorean MCC Deputy Commissioner (Administration) Dr Santhosh Kumar said, “In order to create awareness about the importance of wearing a mask as a preventive measure against COVID-19, we are observing ‘Mask Day’ in the City. A fine of Rs 200 will be imposed for not wearing a mask in public places, and MCC officials will go around the City looking for those who are not following the Covid-19 guidelines, including not wearing a face mask. Since two months MCC had collected Rs 54800 in fines from people who were found not wearing face masks. Therefore, I request people to strictly follow the Covid-19 guidelines, including wearing the face mask and following social distancing, only then we can control the spread of the deadly Virus.”
It should be noted that the use of masks and face covers are mandatory at public places as a part of the centre’s guidelines, among other precautionary measures, against coronavirus. But people have been careless and ignorant even after 7,500 plus people have been detected positive for COVID-19 in Karnataka and over 90 have died according to the Union Health Ministry. The state government has made it clear that it is struggling to cope with quarantine facilities for thousands of people who are returning to the state. People arriving in Karnataka from high-risk states can go for testing by private labs at their own cost. The test would cost people Rs 650 and would be done using the pooling method.
In conclusion, people should know that wearing of face masks in public corresponds to the most effective means to prevent inter-human transmission, and this inexpensive practice, in conjunction with extensive testing, quarantine, and contact tracking, poses the most probable fighting opportunity to stop the Covid-19 pandemic, prior to the development of a vaccine. Only hope that today’s Mask Day won’t be a One Day publicity stunt, where today’s happenings will appear in the media, and after that totally neglected. Just like MLA Vedavyas Kamath’s “Wednesday No Horn Day”, which is not followed. MCC Officials should step out of their offices, get onto the streets and crackdown on people not wearing face masks, and make this “MASK DAY’ fruitful. Period. Let me end the column with few messages- ”Mask up Humanity”, ”Be Kind, Mask and Bind” and ”Hero + Mask = Super Hero”, ”Hero – (minus) Mask = Big Zero” . So, BE SERIOUS & Always Wear ‘FACE MASK’!
