Chewing Gum Sale and Use Banned by Himachal Pradesh Govt Till June 30 to Contain COVID-19 Spread Through Spitting
A large chunk of bubble gum users end up spitting at public places. This has compelled the governments of Himachal, along with neighbouring Haryana to impose on the sale of gums till the end of June. The district administrations have been instructed to rigorously impose the ban.
Shimla, April 4: The Jai Ram Thakur-led Himachal Pradesh government issued a ban on the sale and use of chewing gums or bubble gums till June 30. The prohibition on consumption of gums is aimed at containing the spread of coronavirus. One of the factors of the COVID-19 transmission is spitting, as it releases droplets which may contain virus in the air. Check Real Time Updates on Number of Coronavirus Cases in All Indian States.
A large chunk of bubble gum users end up spitting at public places. This has compelled the governments of Himachal, along with neighbouring Haryana to impose on the sale of gums till the end of June. The district administrations have been instructed to rigorously impose the ban.
The Manohar Lal Khattar government has also asked the authorities to ensure a blanket ban on the sale of pan masala, gutkha and related products. The products were banned by the state in September last year considering their hazardous impact on the health of consumers.
"Covid-19 transmits through droplets. There may be a possibility of transmitting Covid-19 by spitting of chewing gum/bubble gum towards another person," the Haryana Food and Drug Administration department said in the order.
Himachal Pradesh and Haryana are among the two relatively less-affected states in India due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the latter has so far recorded 74 cases, only 6 patients are there in the hill-state. Nationwide, the toll of infections climbed to 2,902 on Saturday, whereas, the death toll stood at 68. Over 180 persons have recovered from the virus so far.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 04, 2020 06:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).