Hyderabad: Amid sharp surge in COVID-19 cases in GHMC limits, the Hyderabad police have decided to book cases against those persons violating mask rule at public places. Police Commissioner Hyderabad Anjani Kumar on Thursday warned the public against violating the mask rule.
Citing a recent judgement of Delhi High Court, Anjani Kumar said that a person travelling in a vehicle or car even if he is alone has to wear the mask since he is susceptible to virus attack one he downs the window shield at a traffic signal or to purchase from road side vondor.
He said that, Hyderabad police shall start booking cases against mask rule violators. After the confirmed second wave of COVID-19, the police have been carrying out several awareness programmes in connection with the mask rule.
Delhi High Court Order:
“A person travelling in a vehicle or car even if he is alone, could be exposed to the virus in various ways. The person may have visited a market, or workplace, or hospital or a busy street, prior to entering the car or vehicle. Such person may be required to keep windows open for the purposes of ventilation. The vehicle may also be required to be stopped at a traffic signal and the person could purchase any product by rolling down the window. The person may thus,be exposed to a street side vendor. If a person is travelling in the car alone, the said status is not a permanent one. It is merely a temporary phase. There could be other occupants in the car prior to the said phase and post the said phase. There could be elderly family members or children who may be picked from the school or even simply friends or colleagues may travel in the car in the immediate future. Such persons can also be exposed to the virus if the occupant was not wearing the mask. The droplets carrying the virus can infect others even after a few hours after the occupant of the car has released the same.There are several possibilities in which while sitting alone in the car one could be exposed to the outside world. Thus, it cannot be said that merely because the person is travelling alone in a car, the car would not be a public place”.