Kerala mask mandate precautionary measure, no major rise in cases: Experts

They say there is no major rise in cases, and state just following WHO guidelines

The Kerala government’s decision to make the wearing of masks mandatory in public spaces must be seen as a precautionary measure, as it was contributing 64 per cent of active Covid-19 cases in the country, state health ministry officials and experts said.

The other reason cited for issuing the guidelines was the rise in influenza cases. According to data compiled by Business Standard, the state has a positivity rate of 0.68 per cent, compared with the national average of 0.10 per cent. In some districts like Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram, the positivity rate was much higher at 1.12 per cent