Raigarh, Aug 3 (PTI) Around 14.87 lakh face masks were distributed free of cost among people in Chhattisgarhs Raigarh district as part of a drive conducted by local police on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on Monday to encourage citizens to make efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Under the campaign, titled 'Ek Rakshasutra Mask Ka' (one safety string of mask), police distributed a record 12.37 lakh masks to people covering each police station area of the district, an official said.

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Another 2.50 lakh masks were distributed free of cost by various organisations and individuals among citizens as part of the drive, Raigarh Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh said.

As many as 985 police personnel and 7,500 volunteers were involved in the distribution of 12.37 lakh masks between 9 am and 3 pm, setting a record, he said.

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Around 362 institutions and organisations supported the drive by providing masks to police for the cause, Singh said.

The 'Golden Book of World Records' has registered the distribution of 12.37 lakh masks by police as a world record, Singh claimed.

Meanwhile, the police also encouraged sisters to give masks to their brothers on Raksha Bandhan and latter should offer the same as a gift in return, he said.

"The Raigarh police have been conducting several awareness campaigns to sensitise people about the viral infection since the outbreak in March. The district has witnessed a spurt in cases in the last one month," the SP said.

Till Monday, Raigarh had reported 255 COVID-19 cases, of which over 100 came to light in the last one month.

However, only 63 of these were active cases as 190 people have been discharged and two others have died.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)