Mizoram on Monday launched a 10-day “All mask campaign” across the state to sensitize people about the importance of wearing masks in order to protect themselves from COVID-19 infection.
Launching the campaign in a function held at Zoram Medical College (ZMC) central library here, health minister Dr R. Lalthangliana said the Covid-19 cases in the state continue to rise increasingly and the fatality rate is also growing up very fast.
He said that the daily Covid-19 cases of Mizoram alone have outnumbered the total Covid-19 cases of 7 other Northeastern states taken together several times.
To roll out better management in order to check the rising COVID-19 cases, the state government has set up State-level Expert Team on COVID-19 Management as per which proposal 10 days campaign on the significant use of masks has been launched, he said.
The health minister said that recent studies showed that wearing masks in an appropriate manner has strong protection from being infected with COVID-19.
Citing that COVID-19 care facilities and ICU(s) across the state are flooded with COVID-19 patients, he urged people to take care of their health.
The health minister also on Monday opened a 10 bedded new ICU ward in ZMC.
34 bedded ICU has been already set up at the medical college before.
The all-mask campaign will conclude on October 20.
According to State-level Expert Team on COVID-19 Management, one of the main factors behind rising COVID-19 cases in the state is reluctance or negligence to COVID-19 Appropriate Behaviour (CAB).
It said that most COVID-19 transmissions occurred at homes.
During the campaign, all family members should were masks even at their homes all the time except during meals and they should not dine together in a group but invoke a buffet meal to eat separately, the expert team said.
Mask should be used at workplaces, regular hand washing and CAB should also be strictly observed during the campaign, it said.
Mizoram on Monday reported 307 new Covid-19 cases, the lowest in over a month since August 24.
The state COVID-19 tally now stands at 1,06,136, of which 13,408 are active, according to a government bulletin.
The death toll rose to 358 as four more people have succumbed to the infection, it said.
As many as 92,370 people have recovered from the infection, it said.
The state has tested more than 11.73 lakh samples for COVID-19 till date, including 1,246 on Sunday.
Over 6.86 lakh people have been vaccinated till October 9, of which 4.71 lakh people have received full dose.