Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the demand for masks, sanitizers and gloves have skyrocketed. In spite of several attempts by the civic authorities and state government to raise awareness about the precautionary measures, people can be seen buying the sub-standard quality of masks and hand sanitizers.
These sub-standard masks are majorly manufactured in areas like Dharavi, Princess Street, Sion, Bandra and Thane. President of All Food and Drug License Holders Foundation said that the masks recommended for the coronavirus are disposable surgical masks, which are made of three layers of filter and are effective in filtering out particles such as bacteria above 1 micron. But these locally made masks are of no use in controlling the transmission of the virus. Due to lack of knowledge, people are even buying fake masks.
These masks can be easily be purchased at railway stations or any street-side stalls. The price of these masks fluctuates between INR 20-50. Taking into consideration the black marketing of masks across the state, the FDA issued a notice wherein it made it mandatory to procure doctors’ certificates to buy masks. Due to the lack of staff, the authorities are finding it very difficult to track these manufacturers of fake masks. They also have to keep an eye on fake sanitizers and medicines.
Also Read: Coronavirus: Here's how Mumbai Metro is planning to create awareness
To address the shortage of masks home minister Anil Deshmukh had roped in prison inmates to make them. They had also posted a picture of masks being made in prison.
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