Assam Police Collects Rs 27 Lakh Fine for not Wearing Masks

Guwahati: Assam Police on Sunday informed that it has charged Rs 27,31,500 from as many as 5,463 people across the state for not wearing masks or mouth covers in public spaces.

"To ensure your own safety and that of everyone around, we request everyone to always wear a mask in public", the Police said through its official Twitter handle. It may be recalled that earlier this month, the Assam government made it compulsory for people to wear masks, failing which they would be fined a hefty sum of Rs 500. The order was issued under the Epidemic Diseases Act in a bid to contain the spread of the deadly disease.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the state's health and Finance Minister has informed that it is not necessary for people to use readymade masks. They can also cover their mouths using handkerchiefs and traditional hand-woven gamusas.

Recently, the Minister has been championing for the use of the gamusa in Assam, popularized across the country by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a mask. A day after the PM visited Bengal with a gamusa draped across his mouth, Sarma took to Twitter to champion for the usage of the garment as a mask. "Gamusa is the symbol of rich culture & vibrant history of Assam. Honourable PM Sri Narendra Modi using gamusa to cover his face makes us gleam with both happiness and pride. I request people of Assam to also use gamusa to cover their faces as replacement of mask", he said.

Usage of Masks to Prevent Covid-19:

The World Health Organization (WHO) has prescribed a set of guidelines to use it as an effective tool in the fight against the Covid-19.

Before putting on a mask, a person must clean his/her hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. Mouth and nose must be covered with the mask and there should not be any gap between the face and the mask.

One should avoid touching the mask unless hands are sanitized with soap and water. The mask must be replaced with a new one as soon as it is damp and single-use masks must never be re-used; additionally, the mask must be removed from behind. Masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.

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