All those not wearing masks properly or flouting social distancing norms at airports may have to cough up fines if proposals mooted by the aviation regulator DGCA are implemented. The regulator on Tuesday told airports to consider imposing spot fines, with the help of police authorities, on passengers who are found not following COVID-19 restrictions.

The DGCA circular that comes amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, says, “During the surveillance of some airports, it has come to notice that compliance (of COVID-19 protocols) is not satisfactory. All airport operators, therefore, are requested to ensure that the instructions on COVID-19 protocol from the standpoint of wearing face mask properly, covering nose and mouth, as well as maintaining social distance norms within the airport premises are followed scrupulously.”

The circular added, “The possibility of taking punitive action, such as levy of spot fines in accordance with the law, shall also be explored with local police authorities so as to serve a deterrent for violation of COVID-19 protocol.”

The COVID-19 numbers in the country have spiked in the past few weeks, going up from 8,635 cases a day on February 1 to 62, 276 cases on March 28. Experts are worried about not only the double mutation cases reported from 18 states but the speed at which the virus is spreading in this second wave.

In an earlier circular, the aviation regulator had asked the airport operators to hand over the passengers, who were not following the COVID-19 protocol even after repeated warnings, to the security agencies. It had also asked the airlines to de-board passengers who refused to adhere to COVID-19 norms.

Fifteen passengers, who were found violating COVID-19 norms on domestic flights of three airlines between March 15 and March 23, might be banned for three months by the carriers, senior officials of the DGCA had said last week.