The Chautara Sangachokgadhi Municipality has started distributing face masks free of cost to the municipality residents to keep coronavirus pandemic at bay.

The municipality distributed 12,200 units of face masks on Wednesday. It distributed 1,000 units of face mask at Ward No 8, two thousand units at Ward No 5 and 200 each at 11 health institutions in the municipality on Wednesday.

The municipality purchased the face masks and distributed them free of cost to its residents following a shortage of masks in the market.

"There is the risk of coronavirus pandemic in the country and we distributed face masks to the municipality denizens as a precaution against this pandemic which is spreading globally," said Aman Singh Tamang, the mayor.

Along with face masks, the municipality has also supplied essential medicines to all the health posts in the municipality. The medicines were distributed in coordination of the Municipality Health Section.

Similarly, the municipality has urged the municipality residents not to go out of their homes unnecessarily and hold gatherings. It has also urged citizens entering the municipality from outside to mandatorily wear face mask.