YDNews| 06:55 pm
Homemade mask: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen wearing a homemade face mask in the video conference meeting with the chief ministers of different states today. The meeting was held to discuss further actions that need to be taken to fight against Coronavirus.
The pictures of the meeting showed Prime Minister Modi wearing a ‘Gamcha’- a cotton scarf he usually wears- as a face cover for the first time in public. Since the Coronavirus pandemic, the Prime Minister was never seen with a covered face. Earlier, PM Modi had urged BJP Varanasi chief Hansraj Vishwakarma to use Gamcha as a face mask.
The masks should be for doctors and health workers and the general public should gamcha or homemade masks, Modi had said. Other members of the meeting were also seen wearing masks including the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
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During the video conference, PM Modi said, ” I am available 24×7. Any Chief Minister can speak to me and give suggestions on Coronavirus. We should stand together shoulder-to-shoulder.”
Last week also, the government advised the public to use homemade masks to cover their faces to stop the spread of COVID-19.
In an advisory, Union Health Ministry had said, “It is suggested that the person who is not suffering from medical conditions of having breathing difficulties may use the handmade reusable face cover, particularly when they step out of their houses. This will help in protecting the community at large.”
However, it also said that the homemade masks are not meant for the medical staff as they are required to wear specified protective gear.
According to the reports, the meeting between the PM and the Chief Ministers of different states has insisted to extend the nationwide lockdown. Odisha and Punjab are the states which have already extended the lockdown.