According to a tour on Sunday, the city has said goodbye to the mask, one of the most effective COVID shields. People without masks vastly outnumbered those wearing them in malls and marketplaces, on public transportation, and on the roadways.

The health and hygiene protocol, including the wearing of masks, “must continue” to be strictly followed, according to a government notification issued on March 31, which declared the relaxation of COVID limitations. It was still not the right moment, according to public health experts, to remove the mask. “COVID is still present, and cases are on the rise in cities such as Delhi.” Wearing masks, which helps us stay healthy in a broader sense, is also something we learned from the COVID pandemic. Masks keep us safe from other illnesses and pollution, according to Abhijit Chowdhury, coordinator of the Bengal government’s COVID management team. “So many people are walking around without masks on.” A Kolkata police officer stated, “It is hard to prosecute such a vast number of people.”

Detecting maskless pedestrians was not difficult from Hatibagan in the north to New Alipore in the south. Two buses stood at a light at the Rashbehari intersection, on the Gariahat-bound flank, at 4.30 p.m. The buses were rather packed. On both buses, passengers seated around the windows had no masks. A large gathering of people had been waiting to cross Diamond Harbour Road at Behala Chowrasta in southwest Kolkata just a few hours ago. Despite standing next to a traffic sergeant, the majority of them wore no masks. At New Market, things were no different. In the crowded retail district of central Kolkata in the afternoon, it was difficult to see a mask. The food court at South City Mall was packed at 2 p.m. The majority of the attendees wore no masks. Many shoppers were also wearing masks that were either missing or dangling from their chins. The situation is the same at Acropolis Mall too.

An official at the South City Mall said, “We are telling people to keep wearing their masks, but beyond that, there is little we can do.” Also, an official at Acropolis Mall remarked, “That they will be marking masks as mandatory.” On a Sunday evening Metro ride from the Maidan to Sovabazar, this publication saw that the majority of passengers, both on the platforms and within the coach, were not wearing masks. Several Metro riders stated they continued to use masks due to the fact that COVID was down but not out. Metro Railway officials said the management was still running advertising encouraging people to wear masks. They were also urging the maskless to put on their facial covers, according to an RPF officer. However, reaching out to everyone during rush hour is nearly impossible, “he said.