Haryana to distribute 1 crore face masks: Khattar

Chandigarh, Nov 22 With the sudden spoke in coronavirus cases in the state, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday warned the people to use face masks to contain the virus and said the government would distribute one crore masks among the public.

Ruling out the imposition of the state lockdown again, Khattar, in a televised address, said a fine of Rs 500 would be enforced strictly on those who were found violating safety norms in public places.

Requesting the public to keep six-seven masks in their pockets, he said: "One should offer a mask to those who are not wearing it."

He said the second round of sero survey to assess the spread of the virus has revealed that 14 per cent of the state's population has already been infected.

"This means more than 37 lakh people having gone undetected for the disease," the Chief Minister added.

( With inputs from IANS )