New Delhi: A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Supreme Court on Saturday asking the government to ramp up Covid-19 testing after a sharp spike in confirmed cases was registered across the country this week.
The PIL was filed by journalist Prashant Tandon and social activist Kunjana Singh through advocates Ashima Mandla and Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi.
The plea has also sought an increase in the number of quarantine and isolation centres, setting up of temporary hospital beds, and facilitating thermal screening at public places in view of the coronavirus spread.
Novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 271 on Saturday after fresh cases were reported in various parts of the country, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Among these are 39 foreign nationals, including 17 from Italy, three from the Philippines, two from the United Kingdom, one each belonging to Canada, Indonesia and Singapore. The total figure also includes four deaths — reported from Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra.
The initial strategy of the government was limited to testing those with travel history and showing symptoms and those who came in contact with such persons.
With experts questioning if India is testing enough to register any community transmissions, the policy has been revised now to test even those who are hospitalised with severe and acute respiratory syndrome.
The plea has been listed before the Supreme Court on Monday.
Comments
0 comment