LAHORE: Dozens of cases have been registered against people for not wearing a face mask amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in Lahore, Geo News reported Sunday.
Per the report, the first case was registered against a person at the Islampura Police Station for not wearing a mask in public. A first information report (FIR) was registered against Muhammad Javed, a resident of Islampura, for taking a stroll at the Alamgir Road without wearing a mask.
The FIR was registered by the police under the provisions of the Punjab Epidemic Control Ordinance 2020.
On the other hand, 83 cases were registered against different people for violating the government's mandated coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs), while 44 cases were specifically registered against people who left their houses without a mask.
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Ghulam Mahmood Dogar said that government guidelines have to be implemented for the protection of the citizens.
"Action would be taken against those who violate SOPs under the provincial government's zero-tolerance policy," he said.
Meanwhile, Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Usman said those who do not wear masks will be apprehended and locked up in the police station.
He said a case will be registered against the offender for not wearing a mask and he can face up to six months in jail.
As cases of the novel coronavirus surge across the province and in Pakistan, the Punjab government is considering a complete lockdown in the province, while smart lockdowns have already been implemented in 27 more areas of Lahore.
The third wave of the coronavirus continues to ring alarm bells for Pakistan as 4,767 new cases of the virus were reported across the country on Sunday in a single day.
Fifty-seven more people died from the virus while 4,767 more contracted the disease on Saturday, according to figures obtained from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).