Establish inspection teams to handle strictly

Not wearing a mask in public during the complicated Covid-19 pandemic is very dangerous, potentially spreading the disease to the community. Therefore, many localities have proactively established working groups to handle people not wearing masks.

Truong Thi Ward authorities made a record of the case of not wearing a mask at Ho Chi Minh Square on the afternoon of May 6. Photo: Quang An

In Vinh city, on April 29, the city People's Committee sent an urgent dispatch to the People's Committees of wards and communes regarding the inspection and handling of people who do not wear mandatory masks. The Vinh City People's Committee requested the Chairmen of the People's Committees of wards and communes to urgently establish inspection teams to handle people who do not wear masks, and in fact, 25 teams have been established. The inspection teams are responsible for inspecting and reminding people to wear masks and comply with measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic. Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, the locality will impose penalties according to its authority.

Truong Thi Ward fined a case of not wearing a mask in the Goong Lake area on the afternoon of May 6. Photo: Quang An

Many violations have been punished. Typically, on the afternoon of May 6, the functional forces of Truong Thi ward organized an inspection of compliance with Covid-19 epidemic prevention measures in the area, focusing on crowded areas such as Ho Chi Minh Square, around Goong Lake. Thereby, 2 cases were recorded, of which 1 case was administratively fined with a fine of 2 million VND, the remaining case was recorded as a warning because the person was under 18 years old.

Then, on May 7, the working group of Truong Thi ward continued to inspect and discovered PVĐ (born in 1982, residing in Le Mao ward) exercising at the Square without wearing a mask and was fined 2 million VND. In Ha Huy Tap ward, Hong Son ward (Vinh city), the working groups also inspected and fined a number of cases of not wearing masks in public places, especially in the market area.

Authorities fined people who went to the market without wearing masks. Photo: Hong Quang

In mountainous districts, the inspection of the implementation of Directive No. 05/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister on urgent measures to prevent and combat the Covid-19 epidemic, including compliance with wearing masks in public places, has also been vigorously deployed. Typically, on May 6, the interdisciplinary inspection team of the People's Committee of Con Cuong town issued fines for 17 cases of not wearing masks when riding motorbikes or entering and exiting the market area.

After being fined for not wearing masks, people in Con Cuong town were given masks by authorities to prevent the Covid-19 epidemic. Photo: Bao Han

In Tam Quang commune, Tuong Duong district, the People's Committee promptly issued Decision No. 76/QD-UBND, dated May 7, 2021 on establishing an Inspection Team and handling cases of non-compliance with Covid-19 prevention and control work in 2021, including wearing masks in public places. At the same time, implementing the signing of commitments to individuals and families currently trading in a number of items that often come into contact with many people and business services that must temporarily suspend operations according to Urgent Document No. 2732 of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee on the temporary suspension of a number of non-essential services and continuing to strictly implement measures to prevent and control Covid-19.

The fine can be up to 6 million VND.

According to Lawyer Nguyen Trong Hai - Head of Trong Hai and Associates Law Office: Decree 117/2020/ND-CP regulating administrative sanctions in the health sector (effective from November 15, 2020) sharply increases the penalty for not wearing a mask in public when required to prevent the epidemic.

Specifically, at Point a, Clause 1, Article 12 of Decree 117, a fine of VND 1,000,000 to VND 3,000,000 shall be imposed for failure to implement personal protective measures for people participating in epidemic prevention and control and people at risk of contracting the epidemic according to the instructions of health agencies. For the same administrative violation, the fine for an organization is twice the fine for an individual (ie VND 6 million).

Lawyer Nguyen Trong Hai - Head of Trong Hai Law Office and Associates. Photo courtesy

In addition, Decree 117/2020/ND-CP also increases the penalty for not notifying the People's Committee and local preventive health agencies about cases of epidemics as prescribed by law from warning or fine from 100,000 VND to 300,000 VND to 1 million VND to 3 million VND.

In addition to the purpose of raising awareness and preventing the risk of spreading the disease to the community, the punishment also serves to deter and educate against violations of disease prevention and control regulations, which are on the rise among a segment of the population.