Steps Taken By Govt. To Break The Chain 'Not Enough': Gujarat High Court Calls For Further Restrictions To Curb COVID Spread

A Bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Bhargav D Karia had perused the affidavit-in-reply filed on behalf of the State respondents covering most of the issues flagged by the HC in its 27^th April Order (more details about the affidavit-in-reply/hearing could be read here)

However, the Court refrained from giving any direction or a suggestion in this regard, as it noted that it was for the State to take appropriate steps keeping in mind the welfare of the public at large.

"If such actions are not taken, preventing the people to get together or from moving from one place to another unless and until it is inevitable, the chain would not be broken and the public at large would be the sufferer," added the Court.

Further, the Court directed the State to provide following details in the next affidavit:

RT-PCR Tests

With regard to the testing, the Court directed the State to place on record the details of functioning of the RT­PCR machines in the various laboratories and the data of increase of RT­PCR facility in each of the District placed together with the steps taken for starting testing facilities at remaining Universities referred to in the affidavit to whom a request has been made to use the laboratories for RTPCR testing.

State has also been asked to provide clear and transparent data with regard to the availability of test, as well as, the facility at the district level.

The Court reiterated that the State should also disclose the true and correct data through public media with regard to the testing facility available in each of the town and primary health center so as to enable the public at large to avail the facility of RT­PCR test at the earliest.

Availability of Remdesivir Injections, Oxygen, etc

The Court asked the State to provide with regard to the distribution of Remdesivir injections received from Central Government to various Districts, as against the demand received from each of the district/hospitals for the last 15 days and the basis of such distribution to justify the pro­rata allocation as highlighted in the affidavit.

The State has been also asked details and data with regard to the distribution of the supply of oxygen and further details as to augment the supply of oxygen from other alternative sources with data.

The Court also sought date wise demand and supply of oxygen for the past two weeks, as well as the future projected demand and the measures for meeting out such demand in the next two weeks.

The State has also been asked to place on record the details with regard to the details of upload real-time updation of the availability of the beds in each hospital of the State for Covid ­19 patients on the web portal.

Break the Chain

With regard to the breaking of chain of the spread of virus, the Court remarked,

"It is true that steps have been taken by the State Government by issuing Notification dated 27th April, 2021, but the same is not enough in the present situation and further steps to break the chain is also required to make the public at large aware about the pandemic and its grave effect on the society by imposing further restrictions as may be thought fit in the present situation."

Lastly, the Court directed that the instant matters be listed again on May 11.

Read our report of the hearing here - COVID 19 - 'We Are Pained, Orders Passed By Court Are Being Completely Ignored': Gujarat High Court Bats For Realtime Updates On Availability Of Hospital Beds

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