Provide Fullest Assistance To Populace Who May Not Have Easy Access To Online Registration For Vaccines: Tripura High Court To State

Hearing the suo-motu public interest petition, wherein the issues regarding the handling of coronavirus in the State of Tripura is being examined, the Tripura High Court on Monday (May 31) directed the State Government to provide the fullest assistance to such populace who may not have easy access to online registration.

The Bench of Chief Justice Akil Kureshi and Justice S. Talapatra further directed the State that it should consider whether it is feasible to publish vaccination bulletin on a daily basis.

Importantly, during the course of the hearing, some of the advocates had shared their concerns about the major Covid centers in the city of Agartala and the situation prevailing in Covid wards.

According to them:

• Relatives of admitted Covid patients being allowed freely to enter Covid wards without even taking basic precautions of wearing PPE kits etc.;
• There is heavy congestion of Covid beds in certain halls; and
• The State Control Room which was previously providing information of the status of the Covid patients to the relatives from a centralized place has become dysfunctional

To this, the Court asked the Advocate General to get instructions on these aspects and asked the administration to take measures as found necessary.

The State has also been asked to consider whether it is feasible to publish vaccination bulletin on a daily basis which would include besides other details as may be found relevant, the following:

1. The total number of persons vaccinated in the State with a breakup of those who are below the age of 45 years and those above the age of 45 years;
2. Total number of persons vaccinated on that particular day;
3. Total vaccine doses available with the State administration at the end of the day; and
4. If additional vaccine doses are likely to be received in near future, information about the same may also be provided.

Further, the Court also observed that one of the prime modes if not the sole means of receiving vaccine is through online registration and that in the State of Tripura, there may be a sizable population who may not have easy access to online registration. Thus the Court ordered:

"The State may consider providing fullest assistance to such populace so that there is no class divide for access to vaccination."

Lastly, the Court cautioned the State agencies and the people of the State to take note of the fact that the positivity rate has remained largely constant hovering around 7%.

The Court highlighted this aspect in order to demonstrate that:

"Even if on a given day or for a few days at a stretch there is a visible dip in the number of Covid positive patients, it does not imply that the spread of the virus in the State is on the decline. We are sure the State administration is acutely conscious about this, nevertheless through."

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