176 Fines Given Out For Not Wearing Masks In Malta In September Alone
A total of 176 fines have been given out by inspectors for not wearing masks in public since 1st September.
Over the past month, LESA carried out a total of 1,217 inspections on buses where 146 contraventions were issued to people not wearing a mask.
Another 48 inspections were carried out on Gozo Channel trips and community officers issued a total of 26 citations for those found without a mask.
Furthermore, the police issued four tickets in relation to the mandatory use of masks in other public places.
In August, health authorities made mask-wearing mandatory in all closed public places after COVID-19 cases began to soar at an alarming late.
People caught disobeying the legal notice will be liable to a fine of €100 upon conviction, which may be reduced to €50 if the penalty is paid before proceedings are initiated in court.
In addition, eight establishments were caught breaching the legal notice which stipulates that bars and clubs may serve food, and drinks with food, only to customers sitting at tables.
Establishments found in contravention of these rules will face a far more hefty fine of up to €3,000 for “each and every breach”.
Last Friday, during her weekly COVID-19 update Charmaine Gauci said that while the law permits up to 15 people to meet up in public places, people should avoid meeting in large groups and keep this number even lower where possible.
“The virus won’t distinguish between relatives and friends, so the more we avoid gatherings, the less the risk,” Gauci said.