TAC for strict compliance of masks, but no penalty as of now

It also recommends surveillance of international arrivals 

The State’s COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has recommended strict compliance of wearing masks in public areas, surveillance of international arrivals, and intensified sewage surveillance in Bengaluru. The issue of levying a penalty has been kept in abeyance as of now.

The TAC last week advised the State to reintroduce compulsory masks in public places. Advising that the services of Marshals and the police should be used to ensure strict compliance as a first step, the TAC had said that if there is no public cooperation, after five to seven days, the State should issue an order under the Disaster Management Act and enforce the same with penalty for defaulters.

However, at Monday’s TAC meeting it was decided to set aside the issue of levying a penalty on mask violators for the time being. “We have reiterated that the State should ensure strict compliance by using Marshals and the police in crowded public areas and closed spaces such as busy markets, exhibitions, marriage halls, shopping malls, buses, trains, offices, commercial establishments, educational institutions, and all air-conditioned halls,” M.K. Sudarshan, TAC chairman, told The Hindu after the meeting.

The TAC has also recommended that posters and rolling visual messages should be displayed on compulsory masks in public areas. “Creating awareness about taking the vaccination that is due, undergoing testing when symptomatic, and compliance to COVID-19 protocols, such as avoiding crowds, closed places, and closed conversations, is essential,” he said.

At the meeting that was chaired by Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar, the COVID-19 situation — globally, in the country and the State, in particular Mysuru where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is participating in the International Yoga Day event on June 21 — was discussed.

While advising the State to immediately recruit necessary laboratory personnel and start genomic sequencing in the Department of Microbiology at Victoria Hospital, affiliated to  BMCRI, the TAC has said sewage surveillance should be monitored regularly for emergence of any new variants.

“We have advised that the International Yoga Day event at Mysuru can be organised with strict compliance to COVID Appropriate Behaviour. Fully vaccinated asymptomatic people should be allowed to participate and those without two-dose vaccine certificates should produce a negative RT-PCR report, not older than 72 hours,” Dr. Sudarshan said.