Railways to fine people up to ₹500 for not wearing masks in trains, station premises

New Delhi: In line with the preventive measures taken by the Centre against the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Indian Railways on Saturday announced a fine of ₹500 for people found to be violating face mask norms in trains and stations. The railways also advised travellers against spitting and "acts of similar nature" as it announced the fine of up to ₹500 under penalties for activities affecting cleanliness at its premises. The fine will be imposed with immediate effect for a period of six months till further instructions are announced, it said.

Citing standard operation procedure (SOP) for movement of trains, the railways mandated that "all passengers shall be wearing face cover/mask at entry and during travel". This comes as India reported more than 200,000 cases of infection for the third consecutive day. The tally has now climbed to 14,526,609 after the 234,692 people tested positive for the viral infection in the last 24 hours. The death toll has increased to 175,649.

According to the Union ministry of health and family welfare, 10 states and union territories, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, accounting for 79.32 per cent of the fresh cases of the coronavirus disease reported on Saturday. Ten states are Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. The health ministry also noted that Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kerala, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new Covid-19 cases.