Dhanbad (Jharkhand) [India], January 12 (ANI): Amid rising cases of COVID-19, a Congress MLA in Jharkhand Dr Irfan Ansari on Tuesday sparked a controversy by saying that masks "should not be used for long".

"Masks should not be worn for long. I am saying as an MBBS doctor that there should not be prolonged mask usage. One should wear a mask in crowds. There is no need to panic during this third wave of COVID-19. The symptoms will get cured in five-six days," he said when asked about his not wearing a mask in a programme.

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Ansari is MLA from Jamtara.

Jharkhand reported 4,482 new COVID cases and two deaths in the last 24 hours, said the state health department on Monday. (ANI)

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(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)