Mask mandate returns in Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad

Earlier, the government on April 1, decided not to extend the implementation of the Uttar Pradesh Public Health and Epidemic Diseases Control Act, 2020, which was enforced in the state since May 2020

Two days after the Uttar Pradesh government directed its National Capital Region (NCR) districts to be on “alert mode” in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases, it announced on Monday that wearing face masks is mandatory in public places.

People are seen not wearing masks at a market in Ghaziabad on Monday. (Sakib Ali/ HT)

The directions by the state government are meant for Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Meerut, Bulandshahr and Baghpat, besides state capital Lucknow.

The directions by the UP government also include mandatory genome-sequencing of patients having Covid-19 symptoms and they were also tweeted from the official account of the government on Monday afternoon.

Earlier, the government on April 1, decided not to extend the implementation of the Uttar Pradesh Public Health and Epidemic Diseases Control Act, 2020, which was enforced in the state since May 2020.

It meant that not wearing a face mask was no longer a punishable offence, while officials and health experts advised the general public to follow Covid-19 protocols as a precautionary measure.

“The directions will be implemented at the earliest and we are waiting for the orders. Since the cases declined considerably in the month of March, there was little focus on wearing face masks. Now, cases are again on the rise and it is vital that masks are made mandatory and its enforcement should also be taken up,” said Dr Rakesh Gupta, district surveillance officer, Ghaziabad.

Initially, the fine for not wearing a mask was ₹100 and it was later revised to ₹500 and increased further to ₹1,000 during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.

Meanwhile, the health department officials said that they have sent about 88 samples for genome-sequencing till Sunday.

Ghaziabad traders said they are happy with the mask mandate and hailed the government’s move. “After Covid-19 cases declined in March, people abstained from wearing masks. It has been estimated that almost 95% of customers were not wearing masks anymore. With fresh cases being reported, it becomes imperative to strictly follow all Covid-19 protocols. We will also encourage our customers to come to our shops only after they wear masks,” said Rajneesh Bansal, chairperson of Turab Nagar vyapar mandal in Ghaziabad city.

Ghaziabad district on Monday reported 20 fresh cases. Overall, the district has reported 173 fresh cases till date in April, while there were 195 cases in March.

In Gautam Budh Nagar, the number of active cases touched 332 on Monday and the district reported 65 fresh cases.

SK Jain, president of Sector 18 market association in Noida said, “In view of the increasing number of cases, we welcome the state government’s move to make it mandatory to wear masks in Noida and other NCR areas. Due to the deadly virus, we have faced long lockdowns and suffered big losses.”

Jain further added, “At the same time, we have lost our family members, relatives, friends and customers, while many more suffered physical, mental and financial difficulties. In such a situation, it is best to be safe and take precautions to fight the disease, so that we don’t face another lockdown”.

Varun Khera, head of the Noida chapter of National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) said, “It was distressing to see that most people stopped wearing masks and were hardly following social distancing norms. We need to realise that masks and sanitisers have to be a way of life now. It is good that the government is taking early precautionary measures. It was needed because cases are once again on an upward spiral.”

Gautam Budh Nagar chief medical officer, Dr Sunil Sharma said, “We are yet to receive formal orders in this regard but we will implement them. Given the rise in Covid-19 cases, people should continue to wear masks for their own safety.”