Street vendors warned against selling masks with fake N95 label

With the governments mandating wearing masks in public to prevent spread of COVID-19, many are trying to make money using the situation by selling poor quality masks and masks with fake N95 labels on roadsides.

Health officials advise the public to wear cloth masks over disposable ones as the former can be washed and reused while surgical masks require measures to dispose through authorised agencies. Hence, several street vendors are selling masks made of different fabrics with fake N95 labels affixed on them.

J.M. Boopathi, president of Consumer Voice Foundation, said, “many street vendors are selling such masks for ₹40- ₹50 per piece. People will get misled by the labels. Officials should take stern action against such persons.”

District Collector S.A.Raman warned of criminal action against persons selling masks with fake labels. Mr. Raman said that its wrong to sell masks with such labels. It had also come to the notice of the authorities that at some places, the vendors were reusing/ selling discarded fabric masks after washing them. Action would be taken against such persons, he said.

He advised the public not to discard masks made with non-woven fabric along with general waste. “Wash them with soap water, pack them separately, mark it with red ink as ‘masks.’ Wear reusable masks only after thoroughly washing them in soap water and drying them in sun for two days,” he said.