PLN 1 000 for not wearing a face mask

Despite the many announcements that are made in the media concerning the three key rules that we must obey in public, the so-called DDM, that is disinfection, distance, mask, not all residents have been adhering to the rules.

City guards, during controls in business establishments and means of public transport, have repeatedly reminded citizens of the obligation to cover one’s nose and mouth, however, there are some people who make nothing of the rules.

“Officers on duty continue to receive complaints from fellow passengers against other users of public transport for not obeying the safety measures on buses and trams,” says senior inspector Joanna Wojtach, spokesperson for the City Guard in Szczecin. “It’s the same with customers in large shops. After the longed-for opening of shopping malls, the city guards have once again patrolled them due to the breaking of the existing rules and sanitarian measures by some of the customers.”

For a couple of months now, there have been on-and-off controls on buses and trams, at municipal markets and, recently, in shopping malls. At the sight of city guards, all passengers and customers of stationary shops put on face masks and it turns out that no one suffers from a health condition or there are no other contraindications to covering their mouth and nose.

“It’s not about protecting oneself and others only in the presence of city guards, but anytime we use public transport, do shopping in shopping malls or are in crowded outdoor spaces, which, in the pre-Christmas period, are attended by more residents of our city,” says Joanna Wojtach. “One does not have to do much to spend the coming Christmas in health and a sense of safety, even only among the closest people. It is enough to cover one’s mouth and nose, take care of one’s health and the health of others in a reasonable and responsible way and give oneself and others the chance to get out the pandemic.”

Some information for the “disobedient”

For several months, there was ongoing discussion concerning the legality of imposing fines for a non-covered mouth and nose. The point was the legal basis. This has been legitimated by the amended the so-called “covid” act, amending certain acts in connection with the counteraction of emergency situations due to COVID19. Article 116 of the Act of 20 May 1971 – The Code of Minor Offences (Journal of Laws of 2019, items 821 and 1238, and of 2020, items 568, 956, 1086 and 1517) contains the following provision: “The one who does not observe bans, orders, restrictions or obligations set out in the laws on the counteraction and fighting of infections and infectious diseases among people may be punished with a fine or a reprimand.”

The City Guard reminds one that not observing the obligation may result in a fine in the amount up to PLN 1 000 under Article 116 of the Code of Minor Offences. If one refuses to accept a fine, the case will be submitted, in the form of an application, to be considered by court.

Between 1 and 7 December, the City Guard of Szczecin carried out 345 interventions and controls, which ended in 40 sanctions, including fines of PLN 500 and PLN 1 000. Such high fines were imposed on those who, in an offensive, or even shocking way, negated the obligations following from being in the so-called red zone or in a particularly reprehensible way ignored the rules.

The takings from fines for the above offences do not feed the budget of the Commune, but will be, within 30 days from the imposition of the fines, handed over by the Commune to the National Health Fund, in accordance with the guidelines from the Act on the Counteraction of Emergency Situations in Connection with COVID 19.