As India witnessed a spike in confirmed Coronavirus cases, with 601 new infections emerging in the past 24 hours, the Central government on Saturday issued an advisory asking people to wear “homemade face masks” particularly when they step out of their houses in order to curb the spread of COVID-19.

In the ‘Advisory on the use of Homemade Protective Cover for Face and Mouth’, the Government said the use of such masks will help in protecting the community at large and that certain countries have claimed benefits of homemade face masks for the general public.

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It said homemade face cover is a good method for maintaining personal hygiene and overall hygienic health conditions.

The Government has suggested the use of handmade reusable face cover for people who are not suffering from medical conditions or having breathing difficulties, when they step out of their homes.

However, it said that this type of face cover is not recommended for either health workers or those working with or in contact with COVID-19 patients or are
patients themselves. These sections require specified protective gear.

The advisory has also stressed on the importance of washing hands and said that it is an essential criteria before wearing face masks. It added that these face covers should not thrown away but kept safely, washed properly with soap and hot water and dried before being used.

Also, these face covers should be prepared in such a manner that it can cover the mouth and nose completely and can be tied over the face easily.

“Wearing of face covers is especially recommended for people living in densely populated areas across India,” the advisory has stated.

The advisory also illustrates on how such a face cover can be made at home with and without a sewing machine.

#IndiaFightsCoronavirus :

The Advisory and Manual Use of Homemade Protective Cover for Face and Mask can be seen at:https://t.co/Dj8ojLRfXQ@PMOIndia @drharshvardhan @AshwiniKChoubey @PIBFactCheck @COVIDNewsByMIB @MIB_India @DDNewslive @airnewsalerts @IndiaDST @PTI_News

— Ministry of Health 🇮🇳 #StayHome #StaySafe (@MoHFW_INDIA) April 4, 2020

Meanwhile, in its effort to fight against COVID-19, Self Help Groups (SHGs) members in 24 States have initiated the production of face masks under the Ministry of Rural Development’s National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). More than 132 lakh face masks were produced by members of SHGs.

So far, India has recorded a total of 2,902 confirmed cases of Coronavirus including 68 deaths.

The Centre has identified 14 hotspots across the country, where the maximum number of cases are detected. Dilshad Garden, Nizamuddin, Noida, Bhilwara, Kasargod, Pathanamthitta, Kannur, Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jabalpur, Ahmedabad, Ladakh and Yavatmal are listed as COVID-19 hotspots.