 "Be smart and use masks, doctors advise caution as Covid-19 cases surge")
As Covid-19 cases rise in the country, health experts suggest that people start wearing masks again. According to data on the health and family welfare ministry's website, new Covid-19 cases in the country surged to 7,830 on Wednesday, April 13. The total caseload stood at 40,215.
A report in The Economic Times quotes Gautam Menon, a professor of physics and biology at Ashoka University, who said that masks should be worn, especially in enclosed spaces and on public transportation. He stressed the need for additional care for the elderly and those with compromised immunity.
States like Haryana, Kerala, and Puducherry have made it compulsory to wear masks. The administration has asked people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour to limit the spread of the infection. Several Delhi schools mandated wearing face masks in school starting Wednesday, the ET report added.
Anurag Agrawal, chair of the World Health Organization's technical advisory group on virus evolution, said that wearing a mask is never a bad idea. He urged people to wear masks in the Delhi Metro. He added, however, that I would not use a mask in my private car with people I am exposed to. He emphasised the idea of using masks smartly.
Doctors have said that the number of Covid cases has increased rapidly over the past two to three weeks, and this calls for increased awareness of Covid-appropriate behaviour.