With India witnessing a considerable rise in COVID-19 cases over the past couple of days, multiple states reintroduced coronavirus-related curbs, making masks mandatory, while some of them warned citizens to follow COVID-appropriate behavior.
Among the states that cautioned the public are Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Delhi.
Health authorities in Haryana have made masks mandatory in public places. Also, wearing face masks has been made compulsory in the state's schools.
On the other hand, the southern state of Kerala made masks compulsory for people with severe health issues, like heart, kidney, and liver diseases, and so forth. Additionally, masks are also mandatory for elderly people and pregnant women.
Meanwhile, the state of Uttar Pradesh directed officials to screen all arriving international travelers at airports across the state.
In the nation's capital, New Delhi, the health department has instructed all hospitals and dispensaries to step up testing.
From less than 400 daily cases in the first week of March to over 5,000 cases every day this week, India's COVID infections have seen an alarming surge in recent days.
This forced the federal Health Ministry to hold a review meeting, asking states to bolster their preparedness and remain alert in light of the mounting caseload.
A two-day nationwide drill is set to be conducted, on Monday and Tuesday, to determine if hospitals and other health facilities are equipped to deal with an emergency, in the event COVID cases rise exponentially.