The Telangana government issued a notification on Wednesday imposing a ban on spitting in public places and institutions as part of its efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
“In the interest of public health and safety, the spitting of paan/any chewable tobacco or non-tobacco product, sputum etc, in public places & institutions is hereby banned with immediate effect,” a notification issued by the department of health, medical and family welfare.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the importance of hygiene and cleanliness in both personal as well as public spheres, the April 6 notification issued by the Health, Medical and Family Welfare department said. It further added that the habit of public spitting poses a serious threat of spreading the infection.
“It is of utmost need to impose restrictions on unhealthy practices that may potentially lead to spread of such viruses and other infections,” the notification read.
The government has however clarified that there is no penalty for violating the order. The government has asked the people to act responsibly and avoid spitting. “There is no specific plan that can be enforced to tackle this concern. It is the conscience of people that will make this step a success. There are no penal provisions either in this regard. We hope the people would honour the ban and abide by it,” Director of Medical Education, Dr Ramesh told The New Indian Express.
As part of the 21-day national lockdown, all paan shops in Telangana have already been closed.
Telangana has recorded 453 COVID-19 cases so far. Presently, it has 397 active cases, while 45 patients have been discharged, 11 persons have succumbed to the disease.
Among the active cases, none of them are in a critical condition, Health Minister Eatala Rajender said.