Wear mask or go to jail, warns Telangana govt

Hyderabad: In the view of sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in the state, the Telangana government has decided to make wearing a mask mandatory, besides imposing restrictions on public gatherings.
In the orders issued by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar on Saturday, the government has reiterated that wearing of masks in all public places, work spaces and public means of transport is mandatory across the State.  “Wearing masks is one of the most important interventions to prevent Covid-19 infection. It is mandatory to wear masks in all public places, workspaces and public means of transport across the state,” the order read.
According to Sections 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, anybody found obstructing an officer or employee from performing duty will be imprisoned for a term, which may extend to one year or fined, or both.
Stating that congregations would pose considerable threat of rapid transmission of the coronavirus, the Chief Secretary said it was decided not to allow public celebrations/observances during the upcoming religious events such as Shab-e-Barat, Holi, Ugadi, Rama Navami, Mahavir Jayanthi, Good Friday, Ramzan, etc. till April 30.
No rallies, processions, public celebrations, gatherings, congregations would be allowed even in connection with religious event in public places, grounds, parks and religious places in the State during the period.