Staff Reporter
Peshawar
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was mulling to make wearing mask mandatory for people especially in public within a week to avert spread of coronavirus, said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Health Taimur Saleem Jhagra. He warned that Pakistan would have to deal with coronavirus for one or more years and therefore the government was considering various mandatory precautionary measures to be adopted by public among which initially wearing of mask would be made mandatory. The Minister said that until now the government was dealing with coronavirus patients to safe precious lives and contain the outspread of the infectious disease. He said from now onward the government would start implementing precautionary measures to contain the spread of coronavirus, adding primarily the government would educate and sensitize people for a week or more and would convince them to wear mask while going outside home, especially in markets, bazaars and public places. The next 72 hours are preparation period, followed by a phase where the government would begin enforcement, adding subsequently the mask would be made mandatory for everyone to wear. If people want to see bazaars, markets and other businesses open then they have to cooperate with the government in implementation of precautionary measures. Jhagra said the countries of the world where outspread of coronavirus was contained, strictly implemented wearing of masks by public, adding that “we should have to learn from the experiences of others.”
The Minister said a mask could be made up of piece of any discarded clean cloth and there is no need to purchase surgical or medical masks from markets. Wearing a mask not just protect one person but also protect others from getting infected from already affected person.
