Delhi likely to scrap fine for not wearing masks in public places, say sources

New Delhi: In a huge relief to the common public, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Thursday reached a consensus for scraping the fines imposed on violators for not wearing masks in public places in view of fast-declining Covid-19 cases in the national capital, the sources said. The DDMA is likely to do away with the fines soon, they added.

In the last DDMA meeting, the fine for not wearing masks was reduced to Rs 500 from Rs 2,000. The Delhi government in its earlier order issued in February withdrew the compulsion of wearing a mask in a private car. 

In early February, the COVID-19 restriction was relaxed when solo drivers were given exemption from wearing the mask inside the car. Notably, the daily COVID-19 infection in Delhi has witnessed a declining trend. Delhi on Wednesday reported 123 new COVID-19 cases and one death with a daily positivity rate of 0.5 per cent.

Delhi reported 113 fresh COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 0.49 per cent and zero death due to the viral disease on Thursday, according to data shared by the city health department. With these fresh cases, the national capital's tally of cases has increased to 18,64,970. The death toll stands at 26,152, it stated.

As many as 23,094 COVID-19 tests were conducted the previous day, the department said in its latest bulletin. The number of daily Covid-19 cases in Delhi has been on the decline after touching the record high of 28,867 on January 13. Delhi had recorded a positivity rate of 30.6 per cent on January 14, the highest during the third wave of the pandemic.

The surge in Covid cases in Delhi during the third wave of the pandemic was largely due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra has also exempted people from wearing masks in all public places. Maharashtra Minister Jitendra Awhad on Thursday tweeted that the state cabinet decides to lift all the existing COVID-19 restrictions in the state. 

Now all festivals can be celebrated enthusiastically, wearing masks will be compulsory, he said.