Supreme Court Asks Centre,States To Suggest Measures To Ensure Compliance Of Social Distancing & Mask-Wearing Norms

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Centre and State Governments to put forth suggestions for proper implementation of guidelines and SOP's for social distancing and wearing masks during COVID-19.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy & MR Shah stated that even thought stringent guidelines were in place for ensuring social distancing and wearing masks, they were not achieving desired results and neither were they being followed by most of the states.

The bench further took note of the submission that there have been large public gatherings including political, religious, ceremonial where the social distancing is given a go-bye and there are no appropriate mechanism to check such social gatherings and gave time to states and the Centre so that appropriate suggestions in the above regard so that appropriate directions may be issued by this Court to implement the guidelines and to ensure the compliance by 7th December, 2020.

Court also issued notice to the State of Himachal Pradesh to file a status report regarding treatment of Covid patients in different hospitals, infrastructure and facilities available there and listed the Suo Motu petition for consideration on December 9, 2020.

The directions were given in the suo moto case titled, "In Re: Proper Treatment of COVID-19 Patients and Dignified Handling of Dead Bodies in the Hospitals, etc".

The Court had earlier taken suo motu cognisance of the fire which broke out at a COVID-19 designated hospital in Gujarat's Rajkot in the wee hours of the morning of November 27.

In this light, the Solicitor General informed Court that a meeting had been convened and various measures had been put in place to maintain and inspect the premises.

Last week, the top court had observed that the pandemic situation is likely to worsen across the country in the coming months and States as well as the Centre must be well-equipped to deal with the Covid19 crisis.

In this light, the bench had directed the States of Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat & Assam to file status reports with respect to the Covid19 cases in respective states, the ground situation for handling crisis as well as steps taken.

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