Spitting, urinating, littering and not wearing a mask in public places in Bengaluru will now be treated as public offences, attracting a penalty of Rs 1,000 the first time and Rs 2,000 the subsequent times.
As per the new regulations, wearing facial masks covering the mouth and nose in public places and work places with more than five employees in Bengaluru has been made compulsory. The law mandates that every household and commercial establishment follow safety precautions while disposing the used masks and gloves. The used mask and gloves should be handed over to waste collectors in separate closed bags as “sanitary (rejects) waste”.
With Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike reporting as many as 138 COVID-19 positive cases, BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar directed the implementation of these rules to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Any person or institution found violating these regulations will be booked under the Epidemic Diseases Act, Disaster Management Act, Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, BBMP Byelaws and IPC sections 188, 269 and 270.
Karnataka has so far reported nearly 590 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and over 20 deaths.
The countrywide tally has crossed 35,000 positive cases, with over 1,150 deaths. Maharashtra continues to be the state with the most cases as the number inched towards 10,500 as of Friday.