With the view of ensuring that people in Tamil Nadu adhere to the government's guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, the state government has passed a new ordinance to contain and reduce the violations of such guidelines like wearing facemasks and observing social distancing in public places. 

According to the reports, the ordinance has been promulgated by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit under Tamil Nadu Public Health Act 1939. The ordinance which has come to effect would pronounce the violations of government's guidelines such as defying to wear masks, spitting in public places, and refraining from observing social distancing as a compoundable offence, which says that the offence may be compromised and the ordinance will attract a fine of Rs 200 or above against people who defy the norms. 

With the new ordinance in place, the authorities can impose a spot fine or file a charge sheet against the violators. For people who fail to wear a mask that covers the mouth and nose in the public places as mandated by the government, they ought to pay Rs 200 as a fine, and those who spit in the public places, they would be levied a penalty of Rs 500 and for people who defy to follow the social distancing norms at the public places and gatherings, they would have to pay Rs 500 as the penalty. 

For individuals who violate the norms in the containment zones, they would have to pay Rs 500. Along with a directory of charging the individuals who violate the lockdown norms, the ordinance has also spelled penalty for the establishments which defy the standard operating procedures. 

According to the ordinance, the violation of SOPs in gyms, salons, spas, and other commercial establishments will attract a fine of Rs 5,000, and such violations in the containment zones will also attract a fine of Rs 5,000.

The ordinance has come at a high time when the state has started preparing to restore normalcy after five months as the government has poured major relaxations and lifted several bans from September. The intradistrict public transports have resumed while the public and private transports between the districts would be resumed from Monday -September 7 and metro rail services will also be resumed on the same day. 

The reports say the government has promulgated the ordinance to keep control in its fight against the pandemic and to reduce the grounds of violations for the norms and guidelines which would further increase the spread. The press release from Raj Bhavan, which also attested by Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, said the offences are punishable under sub-section (2) of section 78 of the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act 1939 and are declared as compoundable for the amount specified. As TNS has reported last month about the possibilities of new act, it has now come into effect to penalize the violators amid surging COVID-19 cases in the state. 

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