A Dobashi from the district administration handing out a mask to a pedestrian. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 2
‘The Mask’ has finally started trending in the streets and markets of Nagaland’s commercial district.
Most of the shoppers and pedestrians dotting crowded streets like NL Road, Circular Road, MP Road and major markets and shopping centres are now seen wearing masks of different hues and shapes
And every fifth shop including ‘Pan Shops’ in busy localities or streets have put up ‘Mask available here’ signs.
The joint drive carried out by the district administration and Dimapur Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) along with police in the past three months to ensure compliance of COVID-19 guidelines, especially in shopping complexes and markets, is yielding positive results.
The spike in COVID-19 positive cases in October has also prompted Dimapur citizens to don the mask the moment they step out from home.
On Saturday last, officials and representatives from the district administration, DCCI and police, conducted another drive at NL Road and MP Road to check whether shops were following the COVID-19 safety guidelines. The team again distributed masks, free of cost to shoppers and public found walking the streets and inside shops without masks.
“Maybe we were a bit late in making a habit of wearing mask but it’s encouraging to see that most of the citizens are now wearing masks, especially in crowded streets and markets,” a shopper said.
A school teacher who witnessed a Dobashi representing the district administration handing out a mask to a pedestrian, who did not possess mask, suggested that traffic personnel and police booths in main streets and the shopping areas too should be supplied with masks so that they in turn can hand them out to pedestrians or shoppers found without masks.
“They can charge nominal rate for the mask. But I believe this will go a long way in making wearing of mask a way of life, at least till the pandemic lasts,” she said. On a lighter note, the school teacher also remarked that some fashion-conscious ladies have gone a step further by matching the colour and patterns of their masks with those of their scarves or blouses.
According to vice president V Shikuto Achumi, “I left my mask in the vehicle,” is the most common excuse of shoppers without masks. “Your vehicle will not catch corona, it is you who is at risk,” he quipped to a person who made the excuse during the drive at NL Road.
“The district administration should also impose penalty on customers found entering shops without wearing masks. We display signs like ‘Wear mask before you enter’ and ‘Customers without masks will not be served’ but some customers simply ignore these signs. And when checking comes, it is the shopkeepers who is at the receiving end,” a trader commented.
“But overall, I think both shopkeepers and customers alike are picking up the trend of wearing masks,” he added.
