Amid rising COVID-19 cases, Odisha govt makes wearing face masks mandatory in healthcare facilities

Bhubaneswar: Amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country and the state, the Odisha government on Monday decided to make the wearing of face masks in all health institutions mandatory.

Directorate of Public Health, Odisha issued an order, directing all the health authorities and medical colleges and hospitals in the state to use face masks to avoid spreading the virus.

"In view of the rising of COVID-19 cases both in the country and in Odisha as a part of adopting COVID-appropriate behaviour in health institutions, it has been decided to enforce to use of masks in all health institutions in the state," an official order said.

Further, according to the order, all healthcare providers during duty hours, all officials and others present in meetings or at congregations, particularly in closed rooms, must use masks.

Persons at clinical laboratories and those involved in other support services in the hospital setting, or visiting areas having the possibility of high transmission, as well as persons with influenza-like symptoms need to use face masks, the advisory stated.