Covid protocol violators fined ₹350 crore in Kerala

Police were given sweeping powers to book violators even as they faced criticism over rights violations and excesses

Thiruvananthapuram: Covid-19 protocol violators have been fined ₹350 crore in Kerala since restrictions were imposed to check the pandemic two years ago. According to government data, this includes ₹214 crore penalties imposed for casually or not wearing masks.

The first Covid-19 case in India was reported in Kerala in January 2020. (ANI)

Police were given sweeping powers to book violators even as they faced criticism over rights violations and excesses. Fine for violations of the mask-wearing rule was raised to ₹2000.

Kerala was the to report a Covid-19 case in the country when a China-returned medical student from Thrissur tested positive for the disease in January 2020. The state later reported the second-highest cases and fatalities after Maharashtra. Initially, Kerala was lauded for its pandemic control measures.

As of Wednesday, the state reported 67,476 Covid-19 deaths. Among the fatalities over 25,000 backlog cases were added after the Union health ministry tweaked norms following the intervention of the Supreme Court. Earlier, the government counted only positive cases and not post-Covid complications to ascertain deaths.