Rubanda: Those arrested without face masks to be subjected to community work, authorities order

Now dubbed agents of the deadly pandemic, people living in Rubanda District who will be arrested for not wearing face masks as a precautionary measure to control the spread of Covid-19 will be subjected to community work.

Those who will be caught not wearing a mask will either till government land, clean public places like roads as it will be determined by the enforcing officer.

This resolution was reached on Wednesday afternoon at Rubanda headquarters as the district leadership sought to introduce measures to stem the spread of the virus.

This comes amid the increase in number of coronavirus cases in the district.

While speaking to our reporter, the Rubanda district Health officer Dr Abdon Birungi said people have become reluctant as far as observing standard operating procedures set up to stop the pandemic is concerned hence coming up with new guidelines.

Dr Birungi added that arresting and detaining people over wearing a mask would be costly and would put the risk of prisoners at risk, therefore finding a new way of punishing them would be easier, since it doesn’t even congest prisons.

“We have no choice but giving them a punishment like tilling government land, or clearing public roads. This will tame their indecent manners of not wearing a mask in this covid-19 era, ” Dr Birungi said.

Peter Rwakifari Rubondo, the Resident District Commissioner for Rubanda district while commenting on the matter noted that community work was nothing but a small punishment aimed at reminding them that they were risking the many lives of other people in Rubanda.

“Those who don’t wear masks put many lives at stake and these bad people need to be reminded. We’ve agreed and prepared a small punishment and we believe that it will help anyone out there to respect wearing a mask. I’m sure with that we shall defeat the pandemic,” Rwakifari said.

Rubanda district has registered at least 134 corona virus cases with four confirmed deaths.