Masks not mandatory, but wear them: Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope

Pune: State health minister Rajesh Tope on Saturday told TOI the state government had not yet made masks "mandatory" but appealed to people to use masks as a precaution when in closed spaces.

He was referring to a three-page letter written a day prior by state additional chief secretary (health) Dr Pradeep Vyas to all local civic bodies on Friday that said, "Mask in closed public spaces like trains, buses, cinemas, auditoriums, officers, hospitals, colleges, schools is (a) must".

"The letter had the word 'must' which seems to have generated confusion," Tope told TOI. He said the state government has only appealed and it is not "mandatory" to wear masks. The government would not fine anyone for not wearing a mask, he added.

Dr Vyas told TOI on Saturday the government is only "prodding people to wear masks" but, if necessary, would make it mandatory at a later date.

Dr Vyas's letter followed union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan's missive over rising Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra. The state is now keeping a close watch on the situation and a necessary plan of action has been drawn out in the letter for all local authorities, said Tope.

In the last two weeks, there has been a slow and steady rise in cases in six districts, including Mumbai, Pune and Thane, that have contributed to an increase in the active cases in the state.

"The state task force meeting reiterated that people should be advised to wear masks in closed spaces such as buses, trains, and other places," Tope told TOI.

In many countries, public health experts have called for use of masks in indoor situations and in places that see crowding.