Masks, hand sanitizers declared “essential commodities” due to Coronavirus

March 14: The government on Friday declared face masks and hand sanitisers as essential commodities for the next 100 days as it stepped up efforts to boost supply and prevent hoarding of these items in its fight to check spread of coronavirus disease. The Centre has also invoked Disaster Management Act to ensure price regulation and availability of surgical and protective masks, hand sanitiser and gloves.

The government has notified an order under the Essential Commodities Act to declare masks (2 ply and 3 ply surgical masks, N95 masks) and hand santizers as essential commodities up to June 30, 2020. The decision has empowered the Centre as well states to regulate production, quality, distributions of masks and hand sanitiziers, and also to smoothen sale and availability of these items, and carry out operations against speculators. An offence under the Essential Commodities Act can attract imprisonment up to 7 years.