Ration card holders sit waiting while collecting food from a state-run ration store in Banda District, Uttar Pradesh, India. (Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg)
5 years ago
Oct 21, 2020
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The Maharashtra government has capped the prices of N-95, double and triple layer masks for suppliers and private hospitals in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, state health minister Rajesh Tope has said.
Wearing mask in public places is mandatory for all citizens as part of the government's guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection.
"We have put a cap on the prices of masks and the rates which can be quoted by their suppliers and private hospitals," Tope said on Tuesday.
The N-95 masks can be supplied in the state in the price range of Rs 19 to Rs 49, while double and triple layer masks will be available at Rs 3 to Rs 4 per unit, he said.
"Suppliers can quote 70% of MRP of the mask while hospitals can charge patients up to 110% of the purchase price. No hospital will be allowed to charge more than 110% of the procurement price," Tope said.
The Food and Drugs Administration commissioner and district-level officials can be contacted in case of complaints, the minister said.
Total 9,72,00,379 samples tested for #COVID19 up to 20th October. Of these, 10,83,608 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) pic.twitter.com/tZmo3tDohB
Europe’s leaders intensified efforts to slow the contagion, reviving lockdowns in some areas after piecemeal curbs made little impact. New cases hit daily records in Germany and the Netherlands, and Spain is weighing a curfew in Madrid. Britain’s Boris Johnson forced the Manchester area, a hot spot in northwest England, into the country’s strictest measures.
Globally, cases surged past 40.4 million with over 1.1 million dead.
Track the latest updates on the Covid-19 pandemic in India, here.
