Govt to get tough to ensure mask-use for COVID-19

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in the cabinet meeting, today asked all concerned to be tougher to ensure the compulsory use of masks with doing more campaign due to the outbreak of second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, BSS reports.

“Force people to wear masks anyway . . . Also motivate them saying that If you (people) don’t use a mask, no vaccines and medicines, you use, will be fruitful to protect,” Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam quoted the premier as saying at the weekly cabinet.

He added; “The mobile courts have been instructed to be more strict and, if necessary, to increase the fines against for not using the masks at public places.”

The head of the government joined the meeting virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence while her cabinet colleagues were connected from the Bangladesh Secretariat through virtual media.

“In the meeting divisional commissioners have stated that thousands of people were also fined yesterday while they have been massively fined for not using masks for the last seven days, also,” cabinet secretary mentioned.

Hearing the news, the prime minister categorically said, “See one more week and motivate people more . . . Then we have to go for a lit bit stronger punishment against the violators.”

Asked what the strong punishment would be, Islam said the imposition of fines may increase to Taka 5,000 from the existing Tk 1,000 or Tk 500.

The cabinet secretary said, “Apart from running the mobile courts, they will donate also a mask.”

He said, “The secretaries of religion and education ministries have also been asked to do campaign in a massive scale in their respective fields about using masks extensively.”

He added that the media is also playing a very important role in this regard.

Anwarul Islam said mobile courts worked at 37 places in Dhaka city yesterday and imposed fine from Taka 500 to Taka 1,000 at different places.

Giving a short picture of COVID-19 infected patients, he said the health minister informed the meeting that Dhaka division is witnessing the spreading of second spell too much than the outside of the capital.

“In last 15 days, the number of infected people was about 300 in Dhaka city hospitals while the amount recorded 600 yesterday, It seems that the number of COVID-19 has increased a bit in recent times,” the cabinet secretary observed.