Do you wear a mask on the metro? Prague Police report an uptick in mask offenses, to 450 per day

In Prague, masks must be worn in non-residential medical facilities such as pharmacies and doctor's waiting rooms as well as the metro

Samantha Tatro

Written by Samantha Tatro Published on 12.08.2020 16:01:22 (updated on 12.08.2020) Reading time: 2 minutes

Daily News
Prague metro passengers via iStock / kamisoka
Prague metro passengers via iStock / kamisoka

In Prague, residents and tourists using the metro must wear a mask or other nose and mouth covering when on public transit. However, during the month of August, police officers across Prague have caught and fined an increasing amount of people who did not wear a mask when using the public transit.

Police officers in Prague have been conducting random checks on the metros in Prague the past few weeks, looking for anyone who may be violating the law by refusing to wear a mask. In Prague, masks must be worn in non-residential medical facilities such as pharmacies and doctor’s waiting rooms as well as the metro (you can find the full breakdown right here).

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“In addition to the police officers from the patrol unit, who pay attention to these inspections on a daily basis, the city police also involved other patrols in this event. Specifically, police officers from districts whose parts of the city include lengths of the metro,” Prague police spokeswoman Irena Seifertová told Metro.cz.

Last month, officers fined an average of 55 people per day for mask violations. However, the first week in August saw a huge increase in violations. Officers fined more than 3,100 people for mask violations. That equals about 450 violations a day.

“In the last week, we have detected 3,193 violations in connection with face masks in the metro,” a spokeswoman for the police told Metro.cz.

If you are caught violating the law and not wearing a mask on public transit, officers will handle it one of three ways: a verbal reprimand, where the person agrees to put on their mask and no further action is taken; a fine of up to 10,000 Crowns; or a notification to the proper administrative body.

“The solution is always up to the specific officer to assess the situation, taking into account all the circumstances,” Prague police spokeswoman Irena Seifertová told Metro.cz.

Many of the cases are resolved by verbal reprimand. Of the 3,193 violations last week, only 277 fines were issued, averaging about 200 CZK per fine.

Police officials said they will continue to conduct random checks.

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