Gujarat High Court on Wednesday, 2 December ordered the state government to punish those not wearing masks in public by imposing penalties as well as making it mandatory for violators to do social service.

Those caught without masks will be asked to work in COVID-19 Care centers in the respective town for a period of 5 to 15 days. The court ordered the state government to release a notification under the relevant statute. The state government on the other hand, said that while the order is ideal, the implementation would be cumbersome and a mammoth task.

This decision was taken by the bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice JB Pardiwala. The order further said that those caught violating COVID safety protocol like not wearing masks or flouting social distancing norms will be asked to perform non-healthcare tasks like cleaning and patient care for 4-6 hours each day. The order followed the judgement passed by the bench on a petition filed by a lawyer, Vishal Avtani.

Source: Media Reports