HIGH COURT ORDERS LOCKDOWN IN 5 UP CITIES; STATE REFUSES TO IMPOSE IT
Amid a surge in coronavirus cases, the Allahabad High Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to impose a week-long lockdown in Lucknow, Allahabad, Kanpur Nagar, Varanasi and Gorakhpur.
Reacting to the order, the UP government, however, said there will be no “complete lockdown” in the cities for now.
A two-judge Bench comprising justices Siddhartha Varma and Ajit Kumar passed the lockdown order on a Public Interest Litigation on the condition of quarantine centres in the state and treatment of coronavirus patients.
“We are of the considered view that in given scenario of present time if people are restrained from going outside their homes for a week in the first instance, the current chain of spread of Covid infection can be broken and this will also give some respite to the frontline medical and health workers." the bench observed.
“Accordingly, we are passing the directions in respect of cities of Prayagraj (Allahabad), Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur Nagar and Gorakhpur and we direct the government to strictly enforce them forthwith," it said. “All establishments, be it government or private, except financial institutions and financial departments, medical and health services, industrial and scientific establishments, essential services including municipal functions, and public transport, shall remain closed till 26th April, 2021. The judiciary will, however, function on its own discretion,” the Bench said.
The state has witnessed a spurt in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks.
Responding to the order, Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary, Information, Navneet Sehgal said strict curbs are necessary to control the spread of the virus and that the government has taken several steps in that direction.
However, he said, alongside saving lives, protecting livelihoods is also important.
“Therefore, there will be no complete lockdown in the cities for now. People are automatically
closing many places,” he said.
He did not say whether the government intends to move the Supreme Court against the HC order.
Meanwhile, the Covid-19 death toll in Uttar Pradesh rose by 167, the highest daily rise so far, to reach 9,997 while 28,287 fresh cases pushed the tally of infection in the state to 8,79,831, according to a health bulletin.
The number of recoveries has increased with over 10,978 patients discharged in a day, it stated.
A total of 661,311 people have so far recuperated from the disease in the state leaving 208,523 active cases, according to the bulletin.
Of the 167 fresh Covid-19 deaths, 22 were reported from Lucknow, 18 from Kanpur, nine each from Chandauli and Allahabad, 10 from Varanasi, six from Banda, and five each from Gorakhpur, Ballia, Shahjahanpur and Bahraich, it said. Of the fresh cases, Lucknow reported 5,897, followed by Varanasi 2,668, Allahabad 1,576 and 1365 from Kanpur.
As far as recoveries are concerned, the state capital also had maximum recoveries and 2,641 patients were discharged, while in Varanasi and Allahabad 1,421 and 1,378 people were discharged, it said.
Additional Chief Secretary, Information, Navneet Sehgal said over 3.84 crore samples have so far been tested for Covid-19 in the state, which included over two lakh tested in a day.