File status report on COVID measures by 6 April, tells HC state

The Telangana High Court on Thursday tried to find out what steps the state government has taken to monitor the incidents of COVID-19 in recently opened schools and colleges.

Given that these places gather in large numbers in classrooms and students will appear for the exam in the coming days, Chief Justice Hema Kohli and Justice B.K. A bench of Vijayasena Reddy said that it was imperative that the state concentrate on this aspect. “We hear that the second wave of coronavirus has affected many countries and we do not want our state to proceed in this way,” the bench said.

The bench sought to know what measures have been taken by the state government to screen passengers entering the neighboring states of Maharashtra and Telangana in Karnataka, which has led to an increase in COVID-19 cases. Those entering the state through bus stations, railway stations and airports had the ability to spread the virus.

The bench said that commercial establishments, people working on construction sites and others were susceptible to the contract of COVID-19, the bench said. Such people should be investigated and medical assistance should be extended to them. Advocate General BS Prasad informed the bench that 300 mobile vans have been deployed at various locations to conduct COVID-19 tests. Standard operating procedures were issued to officials for screening passengers arriving at bus and railway stations and airports. Passengers coming from the United Kingdom who witnessed the second strain of coronovirus were being closely monitored.

The bench directed the AG to file a fresh status report by April 6, with details of RTPCR and rapid antigen tests in all 33 districts of the state. It remarked that the average number of current RTPCR tests was not up to the mark. It suggested the government to conduct more RTPCR tests. The bench expressed concern over the government conducting fewer clinical trials in the state despite high court orders. While the court wanted an average of 50,000 tests a day, the government conducted less than 20,000 tests a day.