Launch combing operations to trace corona cases: HC tells UP government

PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad high court has asked the state government to carry out combing operations to trace corona infected persons in all the districts of Uttar Pradesh, especially in Gautambudh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Agra, Bareilly, Kanpur Nagar, Lucknow and Varanasi.
Hearing a PIL seeking better treatment to corona patients at quarantine centres, a division bench comprising Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Ajit Kumar further directed that the state may also make available the rapid testing kit (antigen) throughout the state, as and when they are required by the health department.
The challan money which has been collected by the state from people who were not wearing masks may also be used for the purpose of buying these kits, the court added.
Emphasizing the importance of rapid testing kits, the court observed, “We also find that the rapid testing kit (antigen) has greatly assisted the health department in tracking down the people who came in contact with persons who had been found to be infected.”
While fixing July 13, 2020, as the next date of hearing, the court directed the additional advocate general to inform as to how the operation of tracing, testing and treatment, which is being done in the district of Prayagraj, is also being done in the above named districts of the state.
During the course of hearing, the medical department informed the court that in Prayagraj district there are 1,875 teams comprising two workers in each team who were responsible for finding out as to which of the residents of Prayagraj have been affected by influenza like illnesses.
Since the Covid-19 infection is mainly increasing in the urban areas, the court was informed by the doctors present that as many as 448 teams were functioning in Prayagraj and each team was having two members from ASHA and ANM. Each team was visiting around 50 households everyday and it was informed that in the city of Prayagraj, where there are around 2,95,700 households, 22,400 households were being visited everyday and each team contacted 50 households. The doctors present informed the court that in this manner they were covering the complete city of Prayagraj in a period of 15 days.
Taking the above submissions on record, the court observed, “We conclude that in the given resources the administration is doing a commendable work. However, we find that there are certain shortcomings.”
First shortcoming, which the court pointed out is that the district administration and the health department have not been able to do anything worthwhile for maintaining physical distancing. Secondly, the district administration and the health department has not been able to install the testing machine, i.e., the bigger capacity RT-PCR which is being offered by the Central government and which it has been informed is not being installed as the room in which the machine has to be installed has yet not been made available.
The administration informed that at least two-month time was required to build the room where the machine could be installed. The court also directed that on the next date fixed, the Prayagraj Nagar Nigam and the police administration shall inform as to why illegal kiosks near public buildings were not being removed, which are giving rise to gathering of public, thereby endangering the spread of corona.
The court directed them to also bring before the court a blueprint by which they propose to maintain physical distancing in and around shops/ kiosks which are authorized to do business in the city of Prayagraj.