Masks made optional in Chandigarh

The ₹500 fine for not wearing masks in public places in Chandigarh has been withdrawn, but people should still exercise caution, says UT adviser

The UT administration on Monday made wearing of masks, for protection against Covid-19, optional.

The mask rule in Chandigarh was first imposed in March 2020, when the first lockdown was enforced in the wake of the pandemic’s outbreak. (HT File Photo)

The ₹500 fine for not wearing masks in public has been withdrawn. UT adviser Dharam Pal said, “People should still wear a mask in public, but it is no longer mandatory.”

The mask rule was first imposed in March 2020, when the first lockdown was enforced in the wake of the pandemic’s outbreak.

Over the time, while some relaxations were allowed for car occupants or those riding two-wheelers, wearing mask was still mandatory in public spaces.

Following orders by the Punjab and Haryana governments in March, masks have already been made optional in Mohali and Panchkula.

Chandigarh’s Covid cases have dropped by over 99% since the third wave in January. (HT)

Tricity’s daily cases down to one

The tricity recorded only one Covid-19 case on Monday – from Sector 32 in Chandigarh.

No one was found infected in Mohali and Panchkula. While it was the fifth time this year for Mohali, Panchkula has reported zero cases 10 times already since January.

However, there was no dip in the tricity’s active cases, which stayed at 25 as the day before. A total of 18 people are still infected in Chandigarh, five in Mohali and two in Panchkula.