Notification was issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry which read, " Export of all varities of personal protection equipment including clothing and masks used to protect the wearer from airborne particles and/or any other respiratory masks or any other personal protective clothing [including coveralls (class 2/3/4) and N95 masks] is prohibited with immediate effect till further orders."
However, centre has made amendments with immediate effect in Schedule 2 of the ITC (HS) Export Policy 2018 for prohibiting the export of goods.
Also Read: Coronavirus Outbreak: Demand of N95 masks rises in India, drug association urges to debar exports
Although, Indian manufacturers had increased the production of the N95 masks in order to meet the high demand from China and domestic users. Soon after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Kerala, the domestic demand upsurged drastically.
Coronavirus is a large family of viruses, causing respiratory illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-Cov). Whereas, the symptoms reported in patients with nCoV involves the onset of fever, cough and difficulty in breathing.