VISAKHAPATNAM: The cumulative penalty collected form the violators of Covid-19 appropriate behaviour has crossed the Rs 30 crore mark in Andhra Pradesh.
Of the nearly 38.5 lakh violators, officials have recorded 11.3 lakh cases in Visakhapatnam district alone, which accounts for about 30% of the total cases. Guntur reported the lowest number of violations among all districts at 41,888.
In monetary terms, Chittoor collected Rs 5.7 crore from these cases, followed by Anantapur (Rs 4.61 crore). In tandem with its case numbers, Guntur has realised Rs 41 lakh in the form of penalties, the lowest among districts.
These violations range from not wearing masks in public places and flouting social distancing norms to social gatherings in excess of permissible strength, public consumption of tobacco, curfew violations, etc.
Meanwhile, the public on their own have raised 66 complaints through the recently announced official WhatsApp number (8010968295) for reporting Covid-19 violations. People from Anantapur have alone made 25 complaints, while there have been no complaints from districts such as Prakasam, Srikakulam and Kadapa.
According to the state officials, the citizens have to send photographic evidence with location details to the WhatsApp number to initiate action. They can also track the status of their complaints.
The state government has prohibited using smokeless tobacco products and spitting in public by invoking the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. Among other directives to prevent the spread of the pandemic, the state government has also directed that wearing of face masks is compulsory in public places, workplaces and during commute, which otherwise will attract a penalty.
Based on transmission rates and daily Covid-19 case numbers, the health department is revising the number of guests that can attend a social gathering such as wedding and birthday parties. The case of night curfew timings is similar.
As per guidelines, individuals must maintain a minimum distance of six feet in public places. Shops should ensure physical distancing among customers. Large public gatherings and congregations will continue to remain prohibited.
