Combating COVID-19: Andhra bans chewing, spitting smokeless tobacco at public places

The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday issued an order stating that in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, the public are prohibited to chew and spit smokeless tobacco.

Special Chief Secretary Medical, Health and Family Welfare, KS Jawahar Reddy has issued the government order (GO) in this regard.

"Keeping in view the provision under Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and provisions made under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the government hereby orders the general public is hereby refrained from consuming the smokeless tobacco or chewable tobacco/non-tobacco product, sputum etc and spitting in public places/institutions with immediate effect during the COVID epidemic," reads the order.

It further stated that if anyone is found violating the order, he will be held under the provisions of IPC-1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc).

As per the latest update by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the State is 420 and seven people have died of the virus so far.