Persons May Be Prosecuted For Not Wearing Masks In Public
Persons who are unwilling to wear masks in public may soon face prosecution under the Disaster Risk Management Act according to Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie.
Earlier this year, the Government made the wearing of masks in public spaces mandatory in a bid to help curtail the spread of the deadly, novel coronavirus.
According to the Mayo Clinic:
“Asking everyone to wear cloth masks can help reduce the spread of the virus by people who have COVID-19 but don’t realize it.
Cloth face coverings are most likely to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus when they are widely used by people in public settings. And countries that required face masks, testing, isolation and social distancing early in the pandemic have successfully slowed the spread of the virus.”
During a digital town hall meeting, Minister McKenzie reiterated that the Government is willing to take action if persons disregard the mask wearing order saying:
“If we reach the stage where the Government has to take measures to tighten and to protect lives, then we will make those decisions.”
He added: “Under the Act, the police can prosecute an individual for not wearing a mask. I don’t think we want to go that route to be using that level of force. We want people to understand and appreciate that the measures have been put in place to safeguard their own personal interest and that of their families.”
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