PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government is mulling to make wearing face masks mandatory for people in public areas and would issue a judgement within a week in this regard.
The latest development was revealed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Minister for Health Taimur Saleem Jhagra on Monday
The minister warned that Pakistan would have to deal with coronavirus for over a year. “Keeping this fact in view, the government was considering various mandatory precautionary measures to be adopted by the public for a new lifestyle. Wearing a mask being mandatory would be the first step in this direction,” he added.
He said that until now, the government was dealing with coronavirus patients to save lives and contain the outspread of the infectious disease whereas from now onward, the government would start implementing precautionary measures to contain the spread of coronavirus while making existence somewhat tolerable.
“Primarily, the government would educate and sensitise people for a week or more and would convince them to wear a mask while going outside the home, especially in markets, bazaars and public places,” he added.
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 the implementation of precautionary measures.
Jhagra said the countries of the world where outspread of coronavirus was contained, strictly implemented wearing of masks by the public, adding that “we should have to learn from the experiences of others.”
The minister said a mask could be made up of a 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 the already affected person. “We have been studying research on this and are now ready to recommend this to everyone to wear a mask in public,” he added.
