bali's mandatory mask rule not taken seriously - hundreds caught in badung regency

When the government sets a rule of keeping a mask on you as you go out, the whole point is to wear it properly so you can protect yourself and others from the spread of corona virus infection. Authorities in Bali are still catching hundreds of people for not following the mandatory mask rule.

Badung Police has confirmed dealing with over hundreds of face mask violators in last two weeks, majority of them were those who had their masks on them but didn't wear it properly.

“In general, the public is complying with the mandatory mask rule as part of the health protocol … but every day there’s always some people without masks, those who have them handy but did not use it, or are using masks improperly,” I Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara, who heads the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) in Badung, said today. 

He further added that inspections are conducted twice a day by officers from Satpol PP Badung. 316 people have been caught and issued warnings upto 17th September while 28 were fined for not wearing masks at all.

Individuals without masks outside of their homes are subject to an IDR100,000 (US$6.77) fine in Bali, according to a Gubernatorial Regulation (Pergub) issued in August, enforcement of which began earlier this month. 

In Badung, authorities have focused their inspections on “red zones,” or high-risk areas. 

35 Foreigners have been caught so far violating the mask rule, only four of them were fined as they didn't have mask on them at all. Majority of the tourists were caught in the tourist zones such as Pererenan beach.