Wear a mask even within the family, don't invite people into your home: Govt

As India continues to register record number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities, Dr. V.K. Paul, member of NITI Aayog, on Monday, asked people to not to step out of their homes unnecessarily.

Stressing the importance of wearing masks to prevent the spread of the pandemic, he said, " ...even within the family wear a mask. It is very important to wear a mask," according to news agency ANI. He also asked people not to invite others into their homes.

Seeking to dispel some rumours surrounding vaccination, he said, "Questions are being asked whether vaccine can be taken by women during menstruation. The answer is yes, the vaccine can be taken during periods. This is no reason to postpone vaccination."

We cannot let the pace of COVID-19 vaccination decline in the face of the emerging situation, he said, adding, "in fact, vaccination should be escalated."

Meanwhile, the home ministry said India is ordering oxygen tankers from abroad on a purchase or hiring basis. "India has enough medical oxygen available, the challenge is to transport it to hospitals. Using real-time tracking, we are monitoring the movement of oxygen tankers," Piyush Goyal, additional secretary, ministry of home affairs, said.

With 3,52,991 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, the highest so far, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases has climbed to 1,73,13,163, while active cases have crossed the 28-lakh mark, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Monday. The death toll increased to 1,95,123 with a record 2,812 new fatalities, the data updated at 8am showed.