india

Updated: Apr 04, 2020 13:49 IST

The Ministry of Health and Family Affairs on Saturday issued an advisory on homemade protective covers and face mask.

In an easy guide, the ministry’s manual explained who all can use the homemade protective masks and ways to easily make them at home in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

In the advisory, the government said that the use of masks will help in protecting the community at large from coronavirus.

“Certain countries have claimed benefits of homemade face cover for the general public. Such homemade face cover is a good method for maintaining personal hygiene. Such usage certainly will help in maintaining overall hygienic health conditions,” the advisory read.

As per the manual, those who aren’t suffering from any medical condition or don’t have any breathing difficulty may use homemade face covers and masks, especially while stepping out.

These masks and face covers are not recommended for Covid-19 patients or those involved in their care including healthcare workers and medical professionals.

The government recommends making two sets of these covers and masks so that while one is in use, the other can be washed.

“These face covers could be made out of clean cloth available at home, which needs to be thoroughly cleaned and washed before a face cover is stitched/made. The face cover should be prepared in such a manner that it can cover the mouth and nose completely and can be tied over the face easily,” the advisory read.

The manual also lays down steps to make these face covers and masks at home using just clean strips of cloth and a sewing machine.

Another annexure shows how a handkerchief and a couple of elastic bands can be used to make a temporary face cover.

On Saturday, the health ministry updated the number of Covid-19 cases in the country to 2,902 including 2,650 active cases, 183 patients who have recovered and 68 fatalities. The country entered the eleventh of the 3-week coronavirus lockdown on Saturday.