Chile’s President Fined $3,500 For Mask-Less Selfie

By Seun Adeuyi

President of Chile, Sebastian Pinera has been fined $3,500 after posing for a selfie on the beach with a woman without wearing a mask as required during the coronavirus pandemic, health authorities said.

The picture of Chilean President with the woman also with no mask on, had gone viral earlier in the month and caused a backlash.

However, Pinera apologised and admitted that he should have worn a face mask when the woman requested a picture with him on a beach near his home in Cachagua.

The country has strict rules about wearing face masks in public, including violations punishable with penalties, such as fines and jail terms.

The president, at the beginning of December, had declared a 90-day extension of state of emergency in the country in order to continue imposing restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.

The extension was declared amid fears that Chile may see a second wave of infections in early 2021.

Chile has reported 583,354 cases of the virus since the outbreak began in March, and 16,101 deaths from the disease.