In a first, the Gujarat High Court today directed the state government to ensure those found without masks to undergo mandatory non-medical community service at Covid-19 care centres. The court said that the period of service should be for 4-6 hours a day for a period ranging from 5- 15 days. It further informed that the nature of duties shall be appropriately decided by the authorities considering gender, age, status of violators. The High Court has also ordered the government to issue a notification in this regard.
The order came on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the court's direction to make community service at COVID-19 centres mandatory for face mask rule violators. The PIL said many people were found violating the rule, resulting in a spike in COVID-19 cases.
The court in its order said, "Any person found not wearing or using face mask cover in a public place and/or violating the COVID protocol of social distance shall be mandated to do community service at any COVID centre run by local authorities."
"Such mandate of community service to be implemented for all violators without any discrimination. These duties shall be non-medical in nature, such as cleaning, housekeeping, cooking," it said.
The High Court order came as the COVID-19 tally in Gujarat touched 2,11,257 with 1,477 new coronavirus cases. The state health department said 15 patients succumbed to the virus on Tuesday, taking the death count to 4,004.
A total of 1,547 patients recovered from the viral infection yesterday and the overall recoveries have now risen to 1,92,368. Gujarat’s recovery rate now stands at 91.06 per cent.
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