To spread awareness, newspaper sticks face mask to front pages in Kashmir

The gesture was also appreciated by netizens who appreciated the publisher’s move on social media.

SRINAGAR (J&K) — In an attempt to combat ignorance about coronavirus and urge its readers for practising precautions including the usage of face masks, a local daily in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar city placed face masks on its front pages.

In a surprise gesture for readers, Roshni, a local Urdu newspaper, put the face mask enveloped and pasted for its readers. The masks were pasted above the subtext, which read, “Mask ka istemaal zaroori hai (Using masks is important)”.

“We thought it was important at this time to send out this message to the public, and this was a good way of making them understand the importance of wearing a mask,” Zahoor Shora, Editor of the daily, was quoted as saying by a national media outlet.

Meanwhile, the gesture was also appreciated by netizens who appreciated the publisher’s move on social media.

“A newspaper costs around Rs 2 and if the publisher is giving a free mask with it, just because they want people to be aware of its importance, then we must appreciate it. Even though some people read this newspaper at home, it does send out a larger message,” Zubair Ahmad, a Srinagar resident said.

Munawar Riyaz, a netizen, wrote on Facebook, “The newspaper publisher can’t do more to stress on the importance of using face masks and other necessary precautions to fight COVID-19.”

Meanwhile, the Union territory recorded its highest single-day spike of 751 coronavirus cases on Monday. Ten new deaths were also registered in the last 24 hours, taking the toll to 254.

While the numbers snowball, doctors and experts maintain that using face masks and observing social distance are the ‘temporary vaccines’ to keep the infection of COVID-19 at bay.