Wearing mask compulsory even when driving alone

Private vehicle occupied by single person is “public place”; wearing mask compulsory even when driving alone: Delhi High Court

“A mask is like a Suraksha Kavach for preventing the spread of the coronavirus. It protects the person wearing it as also the person who is exposed…wearing of masks has been one measure that has saved millions of lives.”

The Court explained that when a person is travelling in a car alone, such status is not a permanent one and there were several ways by which he/she could get the infection.

It said,

“The person may have visited a market, or workplace, or hospital or a busy street, prior to entering the car or vehicle. Such person may be required to keep windows open for the purposes of ventilation. The vehicle may also be required to be stopped at a traffic signal and the person could purchase any product by rolling down the window. The person may thus, be exposed to a street side vendor.. (other occupants) can also be exposed to the virus if the occupant was not wearing the mask. The droplets carrying the virus can infect others even after a few hours after the occupant of the car has released the same. There are several possibilities in which while sitting alone in the car one could be exposed to the outside world. Thus, it cannot be said that merely because the person is travelling alone in a car, the car would not be a public place.”

गाड़ी में अकेले हों तब भी मास्क पहनना अनिवार्य

दिल्ली उच्च न्यायालय ने बुधवार को कहा कि कोविड-19 महामारी के दौरान चेहरे को ढकना सुरक्षा कवच की तरह है और निजी वाहन में ड्राइविंग करते हुए अकेले होने के बावजूद भी मास्क पहनना अनिवार्य है। न्यायमूर्ति प्रतिभा एम सिंह ने निजी वाहन में अकेले ड्राइविंग करते हुए मास्क नहीं पहनने पर चालान काटने के दिल्ली सरकार के फैसले में हस्तक्षेप करने से भी इनकार करते हुए कहा कि अगर किसी वाहन में केवल एक व्यक्ति बैठा है तो उसे भी सार्वजनिक स्थान माना जाएगा। अदालत ने कहा कि कोविड-19 महामारी के संदर्भ में मास्क पहनना अनिवार्य है। अदालत ने कहा कि मास्क पहनना जरूरी है चाहे किसी व्यक्ति ने टीका लगवा रखा हो या नहीं।