Digapahandi: Following the direction of Odisha government in which it has said that wearing of masks is mandatory from April 9 onwards, officials of the Digapahandi Notified Area Council (NAC) in Ganjam district, distributed masks to vegetable vendors and other shopkeepers Thursday.
The use of masks has been made mandatory by the Odisha government to prevent the spread of coronavirus. NAC officials were heard telling people that their faces should be covered when they step out of their homes.
Digapahandi NAC executive officer Prafulla Chandra Dakua said that vegetable vendors and shopkeepers of essential commodities come in contact with customers every day.
“As the masks have been found to be useful in controlling and containing coronavirus, we distributed the masks to them for free”, Dakua informed. He also asserted that those who step out of their homes without masks will be penalised. He said that in case masks are not available in medicine shops, one can even use handkerchief or any homemade mask to cover the face.
PNN