Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced a steep Rs 2,000 fine — up from the current Rs 500 — for those caught without masks, to prevent the surge of COVID-19 that's in its third week. The Chief Minister also appealed to all political parties and social organizations to distribute masks at public places in Delhi.
The hard line by the government came after days of pleas.
As the virus rampaged across a city weakened by sliding mercury and an envelope of smoke, Kejriwal had repeatedly appealed to people with folded hands to wear masks and maintain safety norms. But the mad rush of the festive season had prevailed, pushing the daily tally of fresh cases and fatalities to record highs each week since the beginning of November.
On Wednesday evening, health ministry data showed that over the previous 24 hours, the national capital had logged 7,486 new coronavirus cases, taking the infection tally in the city to over 5 lakh.
According to the health department data the number of fatalities recorded was 131 — the highest single-day count till date, pushing the number of deaths to 7,943.
The chief minister, who earlier ruled away a fresh phase of lockdown, has decided to shut markets that prove hotspots of coronavirus.
He has also ruled out the customary dip in the capital's lakes and rivers during the Chhat puja, saying he "can't let the people take a dip together, one infected person can infect the water, everybody".
