PRAYAGRAJ: Taking a serious note of the definite rise in the active cases of Covid-19 in Lucknow,
Ghaziabad,
Gautam Budh Nagar, Meerut and Kanpur Nagar, the
Allahabad high court on Thursday directed the heads of administration and police forces of these districts to file their respective affidavits mentioning therein the steps they are taking to restrain the hike in such cases.
Hearing a PIL relating to Covid-19, a division bench comprising Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Ajit Kumar further observed, “So far as the above-named districts are concerned, looking to the rise of the active Covid-19 cases, it is clear that the police were not taking as much action as was required to be taken. Even though the additional advocate general, representing the state government, informed the court that in the above districts, prohibitory orders under section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code had been imposed, we find that there is a definite rise in the active cases of Covid-19 in the above districts and for this purpose, the state government along with the local administration may come up with such steps which would restrain the rise of the active Covid-19 cases.”
Considering the suggestions given by the advocate commissioners and various members of the Bar, the court directed that in the districts, where the active cases are rising there should be 100 per cent wearing of masks by the residents of those districts.
Secondly, the court directed the state government that the borders of these districts should be well-guarded so that people of the other districts and states, who were coming into the districts, may properly be checked.
Thirdly, the court directed that the medical facility vis-a-vis checking and treatment should be increased/ extended in the above-named districts.
In this regard, the figures of testing and recovery rate may be provided to the court by December 10, 2020, which is the next date fixed by the court.