The Allahabad high court has asked the UP government to consider complete lockdown for two-three weeks in areas worst-hit by Covid-19 and ramp up tracking, testing and treatment mechanism as well as set up temporary isolation wards across towns to tackle the rises number of coronavirus infections.
The Allahabad high court has asked the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government to consider imposing complete lockdown-like measures for two-three weeks in areas worst hit by coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The court has also asked the administration to initiate contempt proceedings against police personnel if people are found on streets without their masks on.
It also directed the government to ramp up tracking, testing and treatment mechanism as well as set up temporary isolation wards across towns to tackle the rising number of coronavirus infections.
The court also directed the Central as well as state government to ensure sufficient production of Remdesivir by making raw material available to pharmaceutical companies, ensure its supply in the open market and to take stern action against those who were hoarding it and black marketing it.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said he has tested positive for Covid-19. He had on Tuesday isolated himself after some officers in his office had tested positive for the Covid-19.
The state government had last week issued fresh guidelines for creating containment zones and directed for bringing them under tight surveillance. The guidelines said that an area within a radius of 25 metres will be a containment zone in case of emergence of a single Covid-19 case while a 50-metre radius area will be a containment zone in case of two or more cases and will be considered as a cluster.
The new directions will be applicable for all 75 districts, including Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar, and also has details about the containment guidelines for high-rises.
Last week, Adityanath had held a meeting with all top officials of the state to review the situation on spurt in infection. Earlier, a night curfew was imposed in 10 districts of the state, including the capital Lucknow, Prayagraj, Noida and Ghaziabad.
The latest direction came after a bench of Justices Siddhartha Varma and Ajit Kumar heard public interest litigation. The bench observed the state government’s move to impose night curfews in certain areas is a small step towards arresting the spread of the infection, and it is limited to restricting the movement of people during the holy months of Ramzan and Navratri festivities.
Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday reported the highest-ever single-day spike of 18,021 coronavirus cases and 85 deaths, a senior official said.
