Face masks are mandatory in these cities, take a look before going out

New Delhi : Amid a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases across the country, several states and UTs have made it mandatory to wear face masks. This is done to break the chain of transmission of the virus and those violating stringent measures, including heavy fines, have been warned.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday announced that it will make wearing of masks mandatory in seven towns of the state, including state capital Lucknow. The UP government has made the use of masks mandatory in public places in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Baghpat and Lucknow.

“In view of the surge in Covid cases, it has become mandatory to wear masks in public places in Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Baghpat and Lucknow,” the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement.

Moreover, the Haryana and Chandigarh administration has made it mandatory to wear masks in public places to prevent the spread of the infection. The Haryana government on Monday made it mandatory to wear masks in four districts of the National Capital Region. These include Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat and Jhajjar.

Mask mandate in Delhi likely to return

Officials of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will meet today to review and discuss the Covid situation in the city. Masks are mandatory, plus hybrid education for schools can be discussed in the meeting. The DDMA is reportedly planning to reconsider its earlier decision to remove the penalty for not wearing masks in public places.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, chief secretary Vijay Dev and senior officials of concerned departments are expected to attend the crucial meeting.

Covid-19 cases are on the rise in Delhi-NCR

The positivity rate between April 11 and April 18 witnessed a sharp rise in new infections with a nearly three-fold increase. On April 11, the positivity rate was 2.70%, which rose to 3.95% on April 15, followed by 5.33% on April 16 and 7.72% on April 18, government data showed.

Why the sudden rise in cases?

Experts believe that the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, including the face mask order, reopening of schools for offline classes, increased social and economic activities may increase the spike in Delhi and the National Capital Region and some other pockets.