Wearing Mask Not Mandatory While Driving Car Alone: Health Ministry

Ever since the lockdown was lifted, a lot of restrictions were put in place to ensure the safety of people. Of particular importance, rules are to wear a mask every time you step out and violating this can lead to a penalty of Rs 500-1000. The rule got many car drivers to wonder if it is also equally important to continue wearing it when you are driving alone with windows rolled up.

However, the Union Health Ministry has not issued any guidelines recommending a person to wear a mask if someone is driving a car or cycling alone, clarified health secretary Rajesh Bhushan while briefing reporters on the coronavirus, but asserted the need for continued Covid-19-appropriate behaviour.

In order to curb the spread of Covid-19, the Delhi Police has issued over two lakh fines for violation of Covid-19 norms between June 15 and September 2 with most people being fined for not wearing masks. Car owners in Delhi, who are found driving without mask alone or with their handkerchiefs wrapped around their faces instead of wearing a mask, are also been fined and warned to follow the guidelines and wear a mask.

Why it is important to wear a mask every time you step out?

According to doctors, people can catch Covid-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with Covid-19 coughs or exhales.

These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch Covid-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch Covid-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with Covid-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to wear a face mask or cover your mouth and practice social distancing.

It is mandatory for people to wear masks and follow social distancing when they are in a group while exercising or jogging so that they do not infect each other. If a person is cycling alone, then he does not require wearing a mask as there is no such direction from the health ministry,” added Bhushan during a weekly media briefing on Covid-19 update in India.

India’s Covid-19 tally crosses 39-lakh mark with single-day spike of 83,341 new cases & 1,096 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The total case tally stands at 39, 36,748 including 8, 31,124 active cases, 30,37,152 cured/discharged/migrated and 68,472 deaths.

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