A total of 334 fines have been applied to date in Las Tunas under Decree 31, which sanctions those who violate the sanitary measures to combat the COVID-19 in the country.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- Juan Miguel Infante Hernández, director of Supervision in the province, said that the highest number of these corresponds to the provincial capital, where, 159 fines have been imposed for this cause since February.

The municipality of Puerto Padre, he detailed, continues on that scale to the main city, while "Jesús Menéndez", Majibacoa and "Amancio" report the least amount of penalties.

The highest number of fines due to the application of Decree 31 corresponds to the amount of two thousand pesos, a figure that according to the norm published in the Official Gazette is set for those who do not use or incorrectly use the facemask in public spaces, buses, cars and work, and service centers.

"We have received 35 claims from natural persons who have been fined. The population must know that they have this right, and the Law of 72 hours establishes a term of 72 hours to claim, while the authorities have 10 days to respond.”

Infante Hernández explained that the main violations detected correspond to the incorrect use or not wearing the mask, the breach of sanitary regulations in the preparation and sale of food, the violation of safety regulations in work centers, and assistance with symptoms of the disease to schools or workplaces.

"We have acted on public roads and in queues. Today there is greater use of the facemask and its correct disposition. But the problem persists with due distancing, that is one of the main concerns and dissatisfactions."

Because of the cessation of face-to-face activities in schools and the students' stay at home, he recalled that adults or legal guardians will be who assume responsibility when a minor is detected violating the current health requirements.

"We will be rigorous," he warned, after which he stressed that the fine is not a punishment but a preventive action.

He urged the population to maintain responsibility and act consciously in the midst of a scenario in which several organizations join forces to preserve collective health in the face of the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.