Mumbai : The Delhi Police issued fewer than 1,000 challans to people for not wearing a face mask for the sixteenth consecutive day on Saturday, officials said. According to the data provided by police, 1,113 people were prosecuted for not wearing a mask on July 15 and since then, police have issued challans in triple digits only.Police said, 988 people were penalised for face mask violation on July 16, 870 on July 18, 822 on July 19, 790 on July 20, 739 on July 21, 539 on July 22, 689 on July 23, 784 on July 24, 755 on July 25, 684 on July 26, 775 on July 27, 662 on July 28, 771 on July 29, 718 on July 30 and 738 on July 31.

On Saturday, a total of 833 challans were issued by police. Of these, 37 people were prosecuted for violating social distancing norms, 34 for spitting and 22 for consumption of liquor, pan, gutkha, and tobacco, it said. Two people were prosecuted for large public gathering and congregations, it said.

A total of 1,64,562 people were prosecuted for not wearing mask in the national capital during the lockdown from April 19 to July 31. In the same period of time, police penalised 26,155 people for violating social distancing norms, 1,558 for large public gatherings or congregations, 740 for spitting and 1,481 for consumption of liquor, pan, gutkha, and tobacco, the data showed.

A total of 1,94,496challans were issued from April 19 to July 31, according to the data. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority had allowed the Delhi Metro and public buses to operate with full seating capacity from July 26, while cinema halls, theatres and multiplexes were permitted to open with 50 percent occupancy. The decision was taken in the wake of the city witnessing a drop in coronavirus cases and deaths.