By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, April 6, 2020: Fearing communal outbreak of coronavirus – COVID-19, the Odisha government on Monday made it mandatory for people to cover their face and mouth with a mask or cloth while going out of their houses.

As per the notification issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, the order will come into effect from 7 am on April 9 till further orders.

Noting that novel coronavirus is assuming a grave threat to health of the people, the order said that masks have been found to be useful in controlling and containing COVID-19.

“The general public is directed to cover their mouth and nose with any mask while stepping out of house for any purpose. A handkerchief or any other piece of cloth with at least two layers can also be used for the purpose,” it said.

Surgical masks are just a physical barrier that protects one against a visible splash or spray of fluid or large droplets. These masks are useful to some extent containing the disease going by the global experiences, the order said. It also made it clear that everyone has to maintain strict social distancing and isolation measures to contain the spread of the disease.

The district and municipal authorities have been directed to strictly ensure that there is no crowding and people use masks or cloths such as handkerchief or dupatta to cover their faces while stepping out of their houses.

Single-use masks should be properly disposed of after use and clothes used for the purpose should be cleaned with disinfectants after every use.

Masks used by one person must not be used by another, officials said. Odisha so far has tested samples of 2190 people and found 40 positive cases while two have recovered and the remaining 38 under treatment.