Non-compliance with mask wearing would invite spot fines, officials of the Health Department said.
Fresh COVID-19 infections have been slowly rising in the State, especially in Chennai, in the last three days. Poor adherence to wearing masks is one of the causes of concern for public health officials, raising the need for strict enforcement of norms.
On visiting key shopping areas in Chennai on Monday, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan not only advised persons, who did not wear masks, but also imposed a fine of ₹200 on the spot. He ordered officers of the Greater Chennai Corporation to impose spot fines on persons who did not wear masks.
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He told reporters that till date, more than ₹13 crore was collected as fine from 14,21,350 persons for non-adherence to COVID-19 appropriate norms.
The Health Secretary inspected Ranganathan Street in T. Nagar, and carried out a mask compliance drive, and later visited containment areas and a vaccination centre in West Mambalam.
The rise in COVID-19 cases in States such as Maharashtra, Punjab and Kerala was a warning signal for people in Tamil Nadu. People should cooperate to keep the cases under control. They should wear masks and maintain physical distancing, he added. He said that after Chennai, additional attention was being paid to districts such as Coimbatore and Chengalpattu.
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Persons arriving from abroad should get tested for COVID-19 72 hours prior to travel and would be allowed to enter only if the test result was negative. However, persons travelling from the U.K. would be tested again for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu. In case of any symptoms, they would be isolated and monitored, he said.