Govt asks people to wear face covers

New Delhi: As India witnesses a spike in coronavirus cases, the central government on Saturday issued an advisory asking people to wear “homemade face covers”, particularly when they step out of their houses in order to curb the spread of COVID-19.
In the ‘Advisory on the use of Homemade Protective Cover for Face and Mouth’, the government said the use of such masks will help in protecting the community at large, and that certain countries have claimed benefits of homemade face masks for the general public.
In the US, President Donald Trump has asked all citizens to voluntary use non-medical masks as an additional public health measure to fight the deadly coronavirus while keeping medical-grade masks available for health workers.
The Indian government’s advisory underlined that usage of homemade masks certainly will help in maintaining overall hygiene, while cautioning that “this face cover is not recommended for either health workers or those working with or in contact with COVID 19 patients or are patients themselves as these categories of people are required to wear specified protective gear”. “It is suggested that people who are not suffering from medical conditions or having breathing difficulties may use the handmade reusable face cover, particularly when they step out of their house. This will help in protecting the community at large,” it said. (PTI)