NASSAU- A man arrested for not wearing a mask paid a $150 fine to avoid a one-month prison sentence.
Police locked up Devaughn Hepburn, 41, at around 11:50pm on June 20 for failing to wear a mask in public and breach of curfew.
When he appeared in court last week, the security officer admitted that he didn’t have on a mask when police stopped him. However, he said he didn’t break the curfew since he was headed to work.
After hearing his explanation, Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes dismissed the curfew charge.
However, he convicted Hepburn of ignoring the requirement to wear a mask.
It’s been mandatory to wear protective masks since April 8. The requirement is one of the measures designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
On June 28, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis announced penalties for not wearing a mask. Violators could face a $200 fine and month in prison.
Business owners will also face fines if they don’t enforce the mask wearing rule for patrons.
Dr. Minnis said the first breach will attract a fine of $500. The fine doubles to $1,000 for a second infraction. After a third breach, the business could face temporary closure or a higher fine.
The requirement to wear masks in public is waived during exercise. However, the mask should be available and visible while working out.
