Bengaluru: Karnataka now being the third-most affected State in the country, Deputy Chief Minister Dr. C N Ashwath Narayan on Thursday stressed on the importance of wearing masks.
"Mask is the ultimate remedy to prevent COVID-19. This has been proved scientifically. The public should realize this and use the cleansed masks without negligence," said Dr. Narayan.
He was speaking to reporters after attending the cabinet meeting on Thursday. Two weeks ago, he was tested COVID-19 positive.
"The virus should not be allowed to spread further. Everybody should feel duty-bound to achieve this. No one should remove the mask while conversing. The government does not like to impose fines on those who do not wear masks. But people should not forget to adhere to the advisories of the government," he explained.
The government has decided to impose a fine of Rs. 1000 in urban areas and Rs. 500 in rural areas for not wearing the mask. But there are objections from certain sections of the society saying that this fine is on the higher side. But in this case, the health of the people is more important than whether the fine is higher or lesser. In the beginning, everybody had thought that the COVID-19 would vanish after some time. But that has not happened in reality. Hence, protecting the health of the people is the responsibility of the government, Ashwatha Narayana added.
Dr. Narayan further explained the reasons why the government decided to impose fines on people who flout the COVID advisories.
"In the current situation, it has become inevitable to live along with the virus. So, while venturing out it is mandatory to wear the mask. Otherwise, it may turn fatal. This also leads to further spread of the virus. But some people are still are engaged in their activities without wearing masks. They should think of both protecting their health as well as the health of others heath. So, in view of this the government has decided to impose fines," he said.
