We Will Need To Wear Masks Through Next Year Too: NITI Aayog Expert Dr VK Paul

Mumbai: Speaking on the COVID-19 situation in the country, NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr VK Paul on Monday said, We will continue to wear the mask till 2022′. He further added that fight against the coronavirus will require a study combination of vaccines, essential drugs and strict enforcement of COVID-appropriate behaviour.

Pointing to a possible third wave of COVID-19 in India, Paul said the country is entering a ‘risky phase’ as the festivals unfold. Stating that a third wave of the virus cannot be ruled out, Paul told NDTV that if people lower their defenses this festive season, it could turn into a complete mess.

On being asked if restrictions should be imposed if a situation arises, he said, “There are ways to ward off the virus, in theory, in such a situation. And there are guidelines that are available to invoke restrictions in a graded manner. And they should be invoked when the time comes.”

Meanwhile, India has reported 25,404 new COVID-19 cases and 339 deaths in the last 24 hours. The country saw less than 30,000 daily cases for third day in a row. With this the count of active cases declined to 3,62,207, according to Union health ministry data on Tuesday.

Notably, Central government had also asked all states and union territories to ensure there is no large gathering during festivals and that they take proactive measures to check the spread of coronavirus.

“It is important to identify warning signs of potential surges early on and to take appropriate measures to curb the spread. This would require a localised approach, as has been mentioned in Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) advisories dated April 25 and June 28,” Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla had said, extending the COVID-19 guidelines till September 30.

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