Hanoi has legal basis to fine people going out unnecessarily: Mayor
Hanoi will fail to slow the coronavirus spread if tough measures have not been followed.
Hanoi has begun on Saturday to fine people who go out without essential purposes during the national isolation period and the punishment is totally legal, Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung of the municipal People’s Committee has affirmed.
| Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung of the Hanoi People’s Committee. Photo: Baogiaothong |
As per the nationwide social distancing campaign ordered by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, people have to stay home except for emergency cases and for purchases of essential goods. Therefore, going out without justified reasons is against the request, Chung was quoted by Zing News as saying.
Going out unnecessarily is as the same as not wearing face masks when outside amid the rapid coronavirus spread, the chairman explained.
He cited the Law on Contagious Disease Prevention and Control for his point, saying that Article 8 of the law regulates that taking no action or disobedience of precautionary measures in place are all not allowed.
Accordingly, any individual who fails to follow preventive measures guided by health agencies would be warned or fined between VND100,000 (US$4.3) and VND300,000 (US$13), the mayor said.
“It means that there’s ground to fine anyone who deliberately disobeys the prime minister’s directive,” he stressed.
| Hanoi closes parks from April 4 as part of efforts to curb the virus spread. Photo: Zing |
Talking to VnExpress, lawyer Pham Thanh Binh said regulations on fining people who infringe the rules are totally applicable in this case, adding that the aforementioned fines are in pursuant with Clause 1, Article 11 of Decree 176/2013.
Chung said local authorities have disseminated precautionary measures against the epidemic but disobedience remains rampant.
Hanoi has closed all parks in the city as part of efforts to slow the virus spread. People who go out for exercises are asked to return home.
He warned that risk of infection would be significantly reduced during the nationwide stay-at-home period if the people support the policy but the plan would go useless if only 10% of population disobey the rules.
Isolation is a safe and effective measure against the epidemic, the chairman stressed.
