The High Court has hauled the Uttar Pradesh medical services, administration and civic authorities for the lax application of COVID-19 protocols in the unlock phases. Responding to a Public Interest Litigation, a two-judge bench of the High Court of Allahabad observed that the prescription do gaj ki doori mask bhi zaroori (a distance of two yards feet and a mask necessary) seemed to be "empty shibboleth coined by the government".
The court observed: "Neither the government is looking interested in implementing the rule that two individuals should remain two yards away and wear masks nor the people of our state are interested in following the above rule. Anyone who might venture out on the streets would find that the Unlock-1, Unlock-2 and Unlock -3 have been misunderstood by the people of the state as a procedure by which they can now freely go about and mix with each other and do things the way they want."
The court commented on the basis of various photographs presented before it by the petitioners that shops were crowded with no signs of physical distancing and unauthorised encroachers were carrying out their activities without check. The court also observed that despite earlier orders to test, track and treat; the manner in which the cases were rising seemed that the state’s efforts had not borne results.
"The fact that now people are getting themselves treated in private hospitals rather than hospitals which were provided by the government, shows that the treatment aspect has collapsed," observed the court. The number of active cases in the state is 1,00,310 while the number of deaths stands at 1,817.
Calling into question the numbers offered by the state government the court observed, "The government is coming up with various data to show that things are under its control but newspaper reports are not very encouraging. There are complaints that people, though have been tested for COVID-19 but have not yet received their reports even after a lapse of two or more weeks."
The court has called for a submission by the Chief Medical Officer of a report in respect of the pending COVID-19 reports already tested and reports received and delivered date-wise from 20th July, 2020 till 5th August, 2020.
In addition, the administration has been asked to enforce distancing norms at all shops, action against policemen who are found lax in implementing the safeguards, action against such hospitals, nursing homes and clinics where distancing is not observed, proper distancing to be maintained in courts and removal of all encroachments. This is to be followed in all districts of the state.
The state has been asked to present details of its actions taken in regard to these stipulations on August 7.
