Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced 14-day Mask Abhiyan (Mask Mission), starting Friday, to check the spread of COVID-19 in Odisha.
“Several states have declared lockdown, shutdown and night curfew. Odisha is also witnessing a surge in cases and this can be contained if we follow the safety protocols and use a mask,” Naveen said in his address to the people of Odisha.
He said that if people strictly follow this for 14 days, it will become a habit with them.
“During this period, everyone will resolve to wear mask properly, covering the mouth, nose and chin,” he added.
Naveen called upon mothers to make the mission a success. “Do not step out of home without a mask. Mothers have an important role to play in ensuring COVID appropriate behaviour in families,” he said.
The CM further said that the penalty on violators for not wearing a mask has been doubled as it’s the only way to fight against the infection. “Those who have not taken vaccine and even those who have should follow this. If you don’t want to lose your livelihood, you must wear it,” he said.
Currently, Rs 1,000 is the penalty for the first or second offence and Rs 5000 for subsequent offence.
“Other countries are currently facing the third wave of COVID-19. We are unsure about the number of waves we might face in the future. We need to make the mask a part of our lifestyle,” he added.
The announcement came on the day when Odisha saw the biggest spike of 1282 new cases after almost a gap of five months.
