Many move mask-less as infections rise alarmingly
People who don’t wear mask have strange excuses – not of size, mask won’t help, etc — and just carelessness
LUCKNOW: Mask, one of the best available methods to check spread of Covid-19, is still being neglected by several people even as infections are spreading at an alarming rate every day.
More than 5,000 fresh cases are being reported per day in the state and on an average 80,000 fresh case are surfacing across India.
People who don’t wear mask have a list of strange excuses. “I have a big face and it’s very hard to find a mask of my size, so I don’t wear a mask, but I maintain physical distance and personal hygiene,” said 24-year-old Ritwik Sharma, who came for shopping to Hazratganj with four of his college friends.
Only one of them was wearing a mask. Shubham Rawat, 34, a young banker, finds mask to be suffocating. “I drive a motorcycle and wearing a mask inside the helmet gets too suffocating. I only wear mask while in office but avoid it when I am outside.”
Some others cited, breathing difficulties, discomfort and itching as reasons for not wearing a mask while a handful simply stated that they don’t believe wearing mask could keep Covid away.
“Corona to hona sabko hai, e mask kachu na kar pai. Sarkar bas paise kamane ke liye mask pehenwa rahi hai (Covid-19 will infect everyone and wearing mask can’t protect you. The government is asking people to wear mask because it wants to earn money by it sale,” said Pradeep Thakur, a local businessman.
While some may believe that wearing mask doesn’t help, almost every health agency in the word right from World Health Organisation (WHO) to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), health ministry and health department in the state suggest that wearing a mask properly can check getting infected and also infecting others.
Considering this, the state government first appealed to the people to wear mask and then made it mandatory. A fine of Rs 100 was also announced, which was later increased to Rs 500.
Many state governments have imposed huge fines on people not wearing mask. In Gurugram, people could be fined up to Rs 2,500 for not wearing a mask in public place. In Mumbai, people not wearing mask are being fined Rs 1,000. In Tamil Nadu, the fine amount is Rs 200, which
go above Rs 5,000, if other guidelines like social distancing etc are not followed at public places.
Additional chief secretary (home), UP, Awnish Kumar Awasthi said, “Besides imposing fines, the government is trying to increase awareness regarding importance of mask and social distancing, which is being advertised by various mediums. Appeals are also being made for general public to follow these directions and help us in the fight against Covid-19.” Awasthi further added that are no immediate plans to increase fine for not wearing mask.
From April to early September, over 6.5 lakh people have been fined across UP for not wearing mask.
Inspector-general (law and order), UP Jyoti Narayan said, “As per the state government directives, police across the state are making efforts so that people wear masks. Our officials are urging people to wear mask. Those found in public without it are being fined. All police personnel have been asked to lead by example in the initiative and wear a mask whenever they are outside,” the officer added.
“Being oblivious of Covid-19 is worsening the rate of infection in UP. We are getting more than 5,000 new cases every day since the last month and the numbers are increasing ever y day. Everyone must realise the situation and do their bit to contain the spread. Wearing a mask, hygiene and maintaining physical distance is the least one can do,” said Bhoj Raj Singh, head of epidemiology department at Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly.
Mumbai-based clinical psychologist Samriddhi Dhiman believes there is a link between
how Covid-19 is portrayed these days and people not following basic steps to contain its spread.
“Covid-19 became a stigma and people got alarmed by how the government reacted in the early days of the pandemic. But over the months as things are returning to normal people are thinking that the pandemic has little or no impact, at least directly, on them. This is why people feel reluctant in following basic measures to prevent infection,” he said.
Experts believe the governcould
ment must use a mix of strict measures and soft power to make people follow measures like wearing masks.
“The government can become stricter on the mask issue and also on other steps. This could help a little. But a real change in attitude of people can be brought by using soft power. Senior ministers, leaders, civil servants and other influential people of the society must set an example by wearing mask properly, and following other measures. This will also motivate people to do the
same,” said Dhiman.
Various social organizations across UP are also making efforts to make people wear mask. These groups distribute masks and appeal people to wear them. Madhu Garg, office-bearer of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), said the group regularly distributes masks to daily wagers and others. “We also appeal to people that they should wear a mask, but very few of them actually listen. Most of them think Covid-19 will not affect them.”