Ambikapur has become the first city in Chhattisgarh to make masks mandatory for purchasing goods as part of the fight against Covid-19.
The decision was jointly taken by the city's Chamber of Commerce and the Ambikapur Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Sunday.
“At a meeting of AMC and the Chamber, businessmen voluntarily proposed a ‘no mask, no goods’ policy. Now customers will have to wear masks for purchasing anything from shops,” Mayor AMC Ajay Tirki told The Pioneer over the phone.
It was also decided to keep the city market closed for two days, he said.
Ambikapur market remains normally shut on Tuesday. Now it will be closed on Wednesday too.
Ambikapur is the headquarters of Surguja district, where, as per official data, 87 persons have been found coronavirus positive so far. Of these, 31 are still undergoing treatment. One person from Ambikapur died due to Covid infection.
Health Minister T.S. Singh Deo represents the Ambikapur assembly seat. Ambikapur, was declared India's second cleanest city in 2019 after Indore.