Facebook's new feature to remind people to wear face masks amid rising COVID-19 cases

Facebook on July 2 announced that with the rise in coronavirus cases in the United States it is putting an alert at the top of feeds to remind people to wear face coverings. The social media giant further said that the alert will also be available at the top of Instagram feeds. Users will be able to find more prevention tips by clicking on a link available on both the platforms that will take them to the CDC website or Facebook's information center. 

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"Facebook is supporting the global public health community’s work to keep people safe and informed during the coronavirus public health crisis," the social media giant said in a statement on July 2. The latest move comes as people in the United States are rejecting to wear face coverings, calling it an intrusion on part of the government. US Vice-President Mike Pence on July 1 during a briefing on COVID-19 situation in the country urged people to wear face masks, saying 'please, please, please, wear face coverings'. 

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The United States on July 2 recorded its biggest single-day rise in coronavirus cases with over 50,000 news infections. The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also urged people to wear face masks and maintain social distancing in wake of record surge in cases. According to figures by Johns Hopkins University, the United States has recorded over 2.6 million coronavirus cases so far, of which 1,27,410 people have lost their lives. New York remains the worst-hit region in the country with 32,032 deaths, followed by New Jersey with 15,035 deaths. 

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