’Face masks are new normal, incorporate it in our lives’: Centre amid third Covid wave fears

The Centre on Friday urged citizens to keep wearing face masks saying "we should incorporate it in our lives as a new normal."

During a press conference, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, said, analysis shows a projected decline in the use of face masks as we resume activities. We should incorporate the use of face masks in our lives as a new normal, as reported by news agency ANI.

The government said on Friday, only 73 districts recorded more than 100 COVID-19 cases daily in week ending on July 14.

Forty-seven districts across 12 states and UTs reported over 10 per cent COVID-19 positivity rate for week ending July 15, it added.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged states where COVID-19 cases are rising to take proactive measures to prevent a third wave and stressed on moving forward with the strategy of test, track, treat and 'tika (vaccine)'.

Modi said apprehensions about a third wave of the coronavirus are being expressed with number of cases in some states a matter of concern.

During an interaction with chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra and Kerala, he said that 80 per cent of the new Covid cases last week were from these states.

Rise in Covid cases in Maharashtra and Kerala is a matter of grave concern for the country, Modi said.

It is very important that the states, where cases are increasing, should take proactive measures to prevent any possibility of a third wave, the prime minister said.

(With inputs from agencies)