Face mask back in many States as Covid cases rise

New Delhi: With the country's Covid-19 caseload witnessing a slight uptick in the recent weeks, several states have decided to reimpose mandatory mask-wearing in public places. Kerala is the latest addition to the list of states that have made the usage of face masks compulsory at workplaces, gatherings and onboard public transport.

From Delhi to Kerala— several states and Union Territories, which had earlier eased several Covid restrictions, re-imposed protocols and stepped up testing due to the surge in cases.

The Kerala government on Wednesday issued orders making masks mandatory in public places, workplaces, gatherings and during transport, after taking note of the Covid-19 scenario at the national as well as state levels.

The order, issued by the chief secretary in his capacity as the chairman of the state disaster management authority, said non-compliance would be punishable under provisions of Disaster Management Act and other rules in force.

Last week, the Delhi government announced that it was making masks mandatory once again, with a fine of Rs 500 in case of a violation. The state government's decision came after India's R-value — an indicator of how quickly a disease is spreading in the population — increased to over 1 for the first time since mid-January. Fines for not wearing masks were lifted on April 2, when the city recorded 131 cases.

Amid a surge in cases, Haryana decided to make the wearing of face masks mandatory once again in four of its districts bordering Delhi — Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat and Jhajjar. "We have conducted a survey and found that only Gurgaon has reported maximum cases, and a few have been detected in Faridabad.

Therefore, wearing of face masks has been made mandatory in four districts — Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat and Jhajjar. More than half of the districts of Haryana have zero Covid-19 cases. Patients in most of the districts are negligible," said Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said earlier this month.

The state has also said that it will ramp up its daily testing. The AAP-led Punjab government issued an advisory last week making mask wearing mandatory in public places across the state.

The Punjab government said wearing face masks is compulsory in all closed environments, including public transport, cinema halls, offices, schools and shopping malls.

Less than a month after dropping its mask mandate, Telangana health officials urged people to use masks, particularly if attending large gatherings.

Two weeks after lifting the mandatory provision of wearing masks in public places, the Uttar Pradesh government on Monday issued fresh guidelines making masks compulsory again in five districts of the National Capital Region (NCR) as well as state capital Lucknow.

Meanwhile, as cases of Covid-19 rise in some parts of the country and fears of a 4th wave set in, Maharashtra could soon make masks mandatory in crowded places, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is expected to hold a meeting with the district collectors in the state to discuss the issue with them, he said. "I feel this decision (about making wearing of masks compulsory in public places) could be taken after the meeting," Tope told reporters.