Fancy Covid Masks Not Good, Says Plea. Court Seeks Delhi Government Stand

A petitioner has claimed that since the outbreak of COVID-19, wearing fancy masks has become a trend but most of them do not give the required protection against the virus

A plea claiming sale of sub-standard masks for protection against COVID-19 infection was heard on Thursday by the Delhi High Court. The court sought the Delhi government's stand on whether facial covers were being manufactured and sold according to rules. The plea sought the setting up of a regulatory body for determining the standards for manufacture and sale of masks, used for protection against COVID-19 infection, in the national capital. It also urged the court to direct the Delhi government to enforce the rules and regulations regarding the manufacture and sale of the masks. The plea, which was listed before a bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh, was opposed by Delhi government's standing counsel Santosh K Tripathi. He told the court that the standards for manufacture and sale of masks have already been laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The petitioner, an activist, contended that there was non-compliance of the rules and regulations. After hearing both sides, the court sought the Delhi government's stand on the limited aspect of implementation of the rules, regulations and standards in connection with manufacture and sale of masks.