Police will continue to enforce the territory’s mask and social distancing rules by issuing fines to people and establishments that violate them, they warned on Monday.
The rules, as outlined in Covid-19 supression measures passed under the Public Health Ordinance, state that people must wear face masks at all times while in public establishments, at gatherings, and on public transportation, police stated.
Anybody who breaks these rules may be fined $100 on their first violation and $200 on their second.
“After leaving places of residence, persons are only exempted from wearing facemasks when in open-air settings, driving alone or with members of the same household, in an enclosed office space, while consuming food or drink, or when directed to remove the mask by security for identification purposes or by an employee within a health care facility for obtaining services,” police stated.
“A face shield may be worn instead of a face mask by a child under 12 years, a person whose health conditions could worsen after wearing a face mask, an intellectual and developmental disabled person, those who assist lip-readers or a person who is speaking to an audience in person or during a television broadcast.”
Meanwhile, establishments that allow their patrons to enter unmasked or that otherwise break the rules could incur a fine of $1,000 upon their first violation and a fine of $2,000 upon their second.
Two violations of these rules will also result in the establishment’s immediate closure and revocation of its Environmental Health Certificate, police stated.