Observing that the State government was going slow on conducting RT-PCR tests for diagnosis of COVID-19 among citizens, Telangana High Court on Tuesday instructed it to file a fresh status report within 48 hours on steps taken to tackle further spread of the virus in the State.
A bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy, hearing a couple of PIL petitions on COVID-19 related issues, directed the government to explain its plan to check the second wave of Coronavirus. Expressing dissatisfaction over non-compliance of the bench’s instructions issued during the previous hearing, it noted that the RT-PCR tests conducted by the government were less than 10% of total diagnostic tests (which includes Rapid Anti-gent tests) held in some districts.
When experts opined that RaT results were somewhat misleading, it leaves a lot to be desired about the government’s move to conduct more of those tests and much less RT-PCR tests which were said to be giving reliable results, the court noted. As the two pleas came up for hearing, CJ Hima Kohli showered questions on Advocate General seeking to know why the government was not complying with the court’s earlier directions.
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“Why the State is not doing 24/7 vaccination while some other States were doing? What have you done to check occupancy rate in hotels, restaurants, pubs and bars? Are you controlling number of people assembling at marriages and death ceremonies?” the CJ asked the AG. Noting that the court would be compelled to pass direction if the government fails to respond to tackle the pandemic situation, the CJ said “it is not for us to run the State”.
Noting that the State government’s conducting of diagnostic tests “is pathetic”, the CJ told the AG “the State cannot afford to go slow on conducting tests”. Citing the figures from the report filed by government pertaining to Warangal (Urban district), the court said while 4,000 Rapid Antigen tests were conducted there, only 1,400 RT-PCR tests were held.
The court observed the government need not shut the hotels and restaurants but surely it could take steps to contain the occupancy rate to bring down incidence of COVID-19.
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Published - April 06, 2021 01:11 pm IST
