SC warns Kerala against COVID-19 violations

TRIVANDRUM: India’s Supreme Court (SC) has warned Kerala, where the positivity rate continues to rise, against violations of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and sudden lockdown relaxations.

The southern state relaxed restrictions and allowed shops offering non-essential goods and services for three days ahead of Eid Al Adha, earning widespread criticism.

Independent epidemiologists have also been criticising the authorities for unscientific restrictions and short-term relaxations leading to crowing at markets.

Issuing strict strictures Tuesday, the apex court said it will initiate action against the responsible people if it leads to any “untoward spread of COVID-19 disease.”

A two-judge bench of the court, disposing of a plea against the relaxations, also said any member of the public is at liberty to invite its atention to any “untoward spread.”

“This Court will take necessary action against those who are responsible,” Rohinton Nariman and BR Gavai said in their judgement, taking a critical view.

“The relaxation for one day to Category D areas (where test-positivity rate or TPR is above 15 per cent) was wholly uncalled for.”

They said pressure groups of all kinds, religious or otherwise, cannot in any manner interfere with this most fundamental right of all the citizens.” Many Muslim leaders had also voiced against the sudden lockdown relaxation leading to a spurt in infections. Kerala’s weekly average TPR now stands at 10.65 per cent as against the national average of 2.06.

The state’s TPR was on the rise since the lockdown relaxations from Sunday and it rose to an alarming 11.91 per cent on Tuesday, the highest in more than a month.

“To give in to pressure groups so that the citizenry of India is then laid bare to a nationwide pandemic discloses a sorry state of affairs,” the bench said.

“What is extremely alarming is the fact that in category D, where infection rates are above 15 per cent, a full day of relaxation was granted, which was yesterday.”

The judges had on Monday sought a reply and the communist-led government responded saying it was for providing succour to the traders expecting Eid shopping.

It said the move would have helped “alleviate their misery to a certain extent” and that the people were frustrated by the curbs in vogue for more than three months.

“They have stocked up the goods for this purpose much earlier. The organisation of traders started to agitate against the stringent curbs.”