New Delhi: The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday ordered mandatory community service at COVID care centres for those who do not wear masks.

A bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice JB Pardiwala directed the state government to issue a notification mandating community service at COVID care centres for those found flouting rules of wearing masks at public places.

The community service at COVID-19 centres shall be non-medical in nature and shall be for four-six hours for 5 to 15 days, as authorities deem fit, said the court order.

The order was issued on a public interest litigation (PIL) which sought directions to Gujarat govt to increase penalty for not wearing face masks at public places.

The PIL said many people were found violating the rule, resulting in a spike in COVID-19 cases.

“Any person found not wearing or using face mask cover in a public place and/or violating the COVID protocol of social distance shall be mandated to do community service at any COVID centre run by local authorities,” the court said in its order.

“Such mandate of community service to be implemented for all violators without any discrimination. These duties shall be non-medical in nature, such as cleaning, housekeeping, cooking…,” it said.