HC expresses content over steps by TS to stop Covid-19
The Telangana High Court on Thursday expressed satisfaction over the steps taken by the Telangana state government to contain the spread of Covid-19, the disease resulting from the coronavirus.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A. Abhishek Reddy was dealing with a PIL filed by Ms Sidda Laxmi which sough directions from the court to order the state government to prohibit the conduct of Holi and celebrations to prevent the spread of the virus.
State Advocate-General B.S. Prasad submitted a Note explaining the measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in TS and the preparedness of the state machinery to curtail and contain the virus. He informed the court that more Covid-19 testing centres have been set up in Osmania General Hospital, which will commence functioning from March 13, and laboratories have been set up at MGM Warangal. He also informed the court that a team of doctors has left for Kerala to study the good practices followed by that state in curtailing Covid-19.
Every day, drug inspectors are keeping a strict vigil on medical stores, and action is taken against those selling sanitisers and face masks at exorbitant rates.
Dr Shankar, Director, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Hyderabad, informed the court that each testing centre can test 100 patients every four hours and at this rate, the five testing centres that have been set up can test 500 cases in a single day.
Chief Justice Chauhan, while appreciating the response of the state machinery, directed the AdvocateGeneral to furnish the details of hoarders of sanitisers and face masks or those selling them at high price as action must be initiated against such persons by the next date of hearing.
The court must also be informed of the best practices followed by the Kerala government in curtailing Covid19 and which of these practices should be followed by the TS government as well.
Assistant solicitor-general Rajeshwar Rao, representing the Union of India, informed the division bench that as on March 11, 44 confirmed cases of Covid-19 exist in India and the Central government has invoked the Disaster Management Act empowering states to take the help of private independent laboratories to contain the spread of the disease.
Chief Justice Chauhan said, “The World Health Organisation has declared more than 73 countries as coronavirus affected and the epicentre has shifted to Iran, Italy, and the USA, though now there is almost a panic situation prevailing in the USA.” The court directed the state government to submit another report by March 23. The case was adjourned to March 24.