Having made the usage of face masks compulsory in Chennai for anyone stepping out of their houses for permitted and essential needs, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) in its new directive issued on April 15 has now said that those violating the order shall be deemed to have committed an offence. Pedestrians who are not wearing masks will be levied a fine of Rs 100. For those going out in vehicles without face masks, in addition to seizing their vehicle, their driving license will be suspended for six months.
This new directive has been passed under section two of Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987 and will be enforced on the public with immediate effect to avoid the communal spread of novel coronavirus. In his earlier press interaction, GCC commissioner G Prakash has said residents can also wear cloth masks. “Residents can make their own masks using two-layered cotton cloth. Residents can also use a handkerchief as a mask by modifying it a bit,” he has been quoted as saying by The Hindu. Plenty of online tutorials are available to learn how to make cloth masks at home.
Dr Jayanthi, Dean of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai told TNM that the public can make use of reusable and washable cloth masks to protect themselves from the spread of the virus. “Anyone not working in a hospital environment or a laboratory, it is enough If they wear a cloth mask. We know there is a shortage world over so it is sufficient for the general public to wear a reusable, washable cloth mask,” she explained.
GCC has listed a set of guidelines to be followed for disposing three-ply and N-95 face masks in addition to gloves and other solid waste. While residents from non-quarantined houses were requested to disinfect the used masks and gloves using 5% of ordinary bleach solution or 1% sodium hypochlorite solution and store it in a separate wrapper in a closed bin before handing it over to the sanitary worker during their daily door-to-door collection, those from quarantined houses will have to do the same but store it in the designated yellow bags distributed specifically for this purpose. The collected bags will be sent to GCC’s Bio-Medical Waste Processing Facility Centres and also to the incinerator.
Face masks are important protective gears that will help protect one from getting infected by the novel coronavirus. The World Health Organisation (WHO) on the usage and disposal of face masks notes that masks are effective only when “used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.” The advisory also adds that those who use the mask should know how to dispose it.