Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the fine for not wearing a face mask is being increased to Rs 2,000 from what was Rs 500, amid surging COVID-19 cases in the national capital.
“Met Hon’ble LG (Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal). Briefed him about the corona situation in Delhi. We agreed that to create effective deterrent so that people don’t omit wearing masks, we need to increase fine from the present Rs 500 to Rs 2,000,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.
In a televised address, the chief minister also noted that there are many people in Delhi “who are still not wearing masks”.
During the address, Kejriwal also urged citizens to celebrate Chhath puja inside their houses and not in public places due to the healthcare crisis.
Delhi is witnessing a third wave of coronavirus infections. The national capital recorded 7,486 new COVID-19 cases on November 18, taking its infections tally to over 5 lakh. As many as 131 new fatalities – the highest single-day death count till date – pushed the toll to 7,943, according to a bulletin issued by the Delhi government.
