Bengaluru : As not followed the COVID-19 protocols in its premises, the Bengaluru’s Garuda Mall has been slapped with a fine of Rs 20,000. In an inspection conducted by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), authorities said that visitors were also not being checked to see if they had both doses of the vaccine, Physical distancing guidelines had not been followed and people were not wearing masks.

BBMP Chief Health Officer Dr. Balasundar A S said that the civic body had shown malls how to check for vaccine status just a few weeks ago, and that it barely takes a minute per person. “This was the first incident, so we have fined them a small amount as a warning to other malls if the orders are not followed. We plan on issuing much heavier fines in the future if malls are found not checking vaccination certificates, and ensuring if proper protocols are followed.”

Karnataka made it mandatory for all those entering areas such as malls and theatres to be fully vaccinated. These measures were put in place after cases of the Omicron variant were detected.