Double standards mask

Baku/17.05.21/Turan: In Azerbaijan, wearing masks outdoors remains mandatory. This decision came into force on November 21 last year. During the period of the special quarantine regime, the use of medical masks is mandatory indoors and outdoors throughout the country. According to the Code of Administrative Offenses, individuals will have to pay a fine of 100 manats for violating the demand to wear a mask in quarantine. Therefore, the proposal of President Ilham Aliyev to remove the masks from the participants of the "15th Bulbul" festival, which took place in Shusha on May 12-13, was met with controversy by users of social networks. Social networks appreciated this, saying, "Law is not a shah, but a shah is a law."

Is “Law not Shah” in Azerbaijan? Why are people fined on the streets if they do not wear masks at the festival?

Journalist Elchin Alikhan says he was fined a few days ago, and considers it unfair. He told Radio Azadlig that he was not fined even during the harshest times of quarantine, which has been going on in the country for over a year. “For health reasons, I have always worn a mask. And on May 14, when I was smoking in one of the back quarters of the village of Mushvigabad, a police car stopped next to me,” he said. According to him, there was no one on the street except him; he follows the rules of social distance.

“Four sergeants and a major got out of the car, surrounding me. They asked why I did not wear a mask. I said that two days ago, at an event where there were more than 100 people in Shusha, the president told people not to wear masks in the open air, your minister Vilayat Eyvazov was also there. The police said: We do not know the measure, we will write a fine. And they wrote," he said.

Alikhan believes that this is completely absurd. "More than 100 people take part in the event and almost do not observe social distance. As I understand it, officials are not infected with the virus, they can walk without a mask anywhere, but we, ordinary citizens, must wear masks in this hot weather, when we are breathless. If we don’t wear, we have to pay a fine,” he said. The journalist added that there is no fight against the virus in the country, and "there is only a policy of robbing people, issuing fines." He stated that he would not pay the fine.

Fazail Agamaly, a member of the Milli Majlis Committee on Legal Policy and State Building, told Turan that this is a very nihilistic approach and does not reflect the truth. “The journalists present there wrote that after they passed the test several times, they went to Shusha. The test was compulsory for everyone. When you are tested, after a few hours it becomes clear whether he is infected with a virus or not. All those present were tested and took part in the event because they were healthy,” he said. He said that all the participants of the event are persons who have passed both stages of vaccination.

The member of the committee stressed that at the 15th Bulbul festival there were also those who used masks. Although they were healthy. From this point of view, I regret that those who deeply analyze the situation and do not argue why it is so express their attitude on social networks. Agamaly stated that it is important to use masks, maintain social distance and hygiene rules.

"In particular, it is also necessary to get vaccinated. Because all over the world it has been proven that in countries that are taking vaccination measures, the incidence has decreased, and in some countries, it has completely disappeared. You need to follow the advice of professionals who say this, or someone in social networks he summarizes some image, writes down his opinion in a couple of sentences and begins to express such subjective opinions around him. Everyone must defend himself," said the deputy.

Public activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev said that this is not the first time President Ilham Aliyev has used this statement in connection with the mask. In his previous several speeches, he also said that if we are outdoors, it is important not to wear a mask. However, the Ministry of the Interior, which is especially sensitive to the decision taken by the president and his operational headquarters, severely punishes those who do not wear masks even on hot summer days in crowded places.

According to Hajiyev, these are double standards. Either no one in the country should go out without a mask, or if the president of the country says, “It's not important to wear a mask outdoors,” two steps need to be taken in this regard. “Either the operational headquarters must take action against this statement by the president, or accept it as truth and change its mind,” he said. The activist noted that double standards are applied not only in the issue of the mask.

“There are numerous video facts, documents that investigative journalists post on social networks, for example, about the corruption of high-ranking officials. No steps have been taken against them. However, if in some rural hospital there is a complaint about a bribe, then the doctor is sent to prison. This is the case in all areas, and the law applies only to ordinary citizens,” Hajiyev said.

Director of Turan Information Agency, Mehman Aliyev, also believes that the actions of the police are inadequate. “I paid a fine twice for two people in the amount of 100 manats for each, just because their mask slipped off their noses. One of them was epileptic,” Aliyev said. Aliyev says the World Health Organization gives the following advice:  “Get into the habit of wearing a mask in crowded places. In order to maximize the effectiveness of use of masks, they must be properly used, stored, handled and disposed of. If you put on or take off the mask, or touch it, perform hand hygiene. Wear the mask so that it covers your nose, mouth, and chin.

After removing the mask, put it in a clean plastic bag; fabric masks must be washed daily, and medical masks must be disposed of with household waste." “Who controls this and is it capable of monitoring the implementation of the recommendations?” He wonders, noting, “in case of non-compliance with the WHO recommendations, wearing masks becomes meaningless. Moreover, many citizens wear masks for days, turning them into potential sources of infection. There may be police officers among them. ”- 0 -