News Analysis India

Tag: covid protocols

  • Have directed states, UTs to ensure strict compliance with COVID-19 directives: Govt to Delhi HC

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The central government has informed the Delhi High Court that it has asked all states and Union territories (UT) to ensure strict compliance with the national directives for COVID-19 management and take necessary measures under the Disaster Management Act.

    Order was also issued to them to consider the implementation of targeted and prompt actions for COVID19 management until July 31, the Centre has said.

    The Centre also stated that while the opening of activities after a decline in COVID-19 cases was essential, the states and UTs must ensure that “the whole process is carefully calibrated”.

    The statement was made in a status report filed by the Centre through its standing counsel Anil Soni in connection with the high court’s suo motu proceedings on violation of COVID-19 protocols in various markets in the national capital.

    The Centre has submitted that national directives for COVID-19 management include face coverings, social distancing, not spitting in public places, work from home, staggering of work/business hours, screening and hygiene and frequent sanitisation.

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    “MHA issued order dated 29.06.2021 directing state/Union Territory governments and state/Union Territory Authorities to consider the implementation of targeted and prompt actions for COVID-19 management till 31.07.07.2021 as conveyed vide aforesaid MoHFW advisory dated 28.06.2021 and also take necessary measures under the relevant provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005.

    “MHA also directed state/Union territories that National Directives for COVID-19 Management shall continue to be strictly followed throughout the country”, the report reads.

    Clarifying that the decision to impose or ease restrictions has to be based on the assessment of the ground situation, the Centre added that state/UT authorities should ensure that there is “continuous focus on containment efforts” and “uniformity in implementing graded restrictions/relaxations”.

    The high court was also informed that the “framework for implementation of prompt and target action” was also shared by the Centre with the states.

    The framework, Centre said, speaks of a “five-fold strategy for effective management of COVID-19” i.e. test, track, treat, vaccinate and adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour.

    The framework also emphasises that “COVID-19 management can succeed only through a whole of government and whole of society approach”.

    States are nonetheless at liberty to plan additional public health measures based on their local situation, it is said.

    The Centre has also submitted that a letter was addressed to chief secretaries of all states and administrators of UTs, stressing effective management of COVID-19 by following advisories issued by the home and health ministries.

    A vacation bench of the high court had initiated a PIL last month after it took note of certain photographs sent to one of the high court judges on WhatsApp by an AIIMS doctor showing scant regard for COVID-19 protocols by street vendors in markets.

    The court had observed that such breaches would only hasten the third wave of coronavirus which cannot be permitted at all.

    The high court said if this behaviour of flouting COVID-19 norms continues “we will be in great trouble”.

    “We have paid a huge price in the second wave.

    We don’t know if there is any household which has not suffered in the second wave, closely or remotely,” the bench had observed, adding that “we as a citizen of this city are worried when we see these images”.

    It further said the memory of the second wave of COVID-19 is still fresh with so many people having suffered personal loss.

  • FIR lodged for violating COVID norms at event in Aurangabad attended by AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel

    By PTI
    AURANGABAD: Police have registered a case for COVID-19 protocols violation in connection with a musical programme held over the weekend at Aurangabad in Maharashtra where local AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel was also present.

    When contacted, the Lok Sabha member refused to comment in the matter. The district administration had enforced a ‘weekend lockdown’ to check the spread of coronavirus infection. In a video which went viral on social media, Jaleel was seen present at the ‘Qawwali’ programme, held in the Abdimandi area under Daulatabad police station limits on Saturday night.

    He was also seen getting on to the stage and some people showering currency notes on the parliamentarian. A senior official from Daulatabad police station told PTI on Monday that they rushed to the place where the musical was being held and its videos went viral later.

    “We acted swiftly and registered an FIR against local residents Sohel Jakiuddin, Samir Sajid Builder, Naser Siddiqui and Rafiq Khan and 50-60 other unidentified people under relevant provisions. We are verifying the videos and if necessary, action may also be taken against Jaleel,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader and former MP Chandrakant Khiare hit out at Jaleel, saying while ‘warkaris’ (devotees of Lord Vitthal) cannot go to Pandharpur (in Solapur-for religious procession) due to the pandemic, the parliamentarian was “enjoying Qawwali by breaking the COVID-19 protocols”.

    “Some officials from the police department are supporting Jaleel,” Khaire alleged, and said he will meet the police commissioner and seek action against the Aurangabad MP in the case.

    Khaire also said the venue where the musical event took place was close to forest area and such programmes were not allowed there. “A probe should also be conducted against the land owner (of the venue) in this case,” he said.

    The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) also criticised the district administration over the issue.

    In a video message, MNS district president Suhas Dashrathe said, “On one side, the poor people are dying here amid COVID-19 restrictions, while on the other side, currency notes are showered on a public representative.”

    Dashrathe said they had demanded a relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in Aurangabad for three more hours every day, but the administration did not consider it. “We now want to see what action the collector will take against the musical event organisers and those present there,” he said.

  • Uttarakhand: Portals of Kedarnath Temple open amid strict COVID protocols

    By ANI
    RUDRAPRAYAG: The portals of the Kedarnath Temple were reopened on Monday amid observation of strict COVID-19 protocols.

    The gates of the temple were opened at 5 am today after a ritualistic ceremony, while Gangotri and Yamunotri temples were reopened on May 14.

    “Kedarnath shrine was reopened today at 5 am with all the rituals. I pray to Baba Kedarnath to keep everyone healthy,” tweeted Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat.

    According to the Devasthanam Board, Kedarnath is one of the four shrines of the idol of Lord Shiva, which was moved to his winter abode Omkareshwar Temple at Ukhimath and it was reinstalled at Kedarnath on May 14.

    The portals were closed in November last year for the winter season.

    Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government has announced that the ‘Chardham Yatra’ has been temporarily suspended in view of the threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

    “In view of the COVID pandemic, ‘Chardham Yatra’ is temporarily suspended. Only rituals are being performed with no pilgrims allowed,” the Uttarakhand DIPR said.

    According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are 80,000 active cases in Uttarakhand, while 1,98,616 people have recovered from the disease so far.

    The death toll has mounted to 4,623 in the state.

  • COVID-19: Maharashtra to go ahead with simple Ambedkar Jayanti event at Deekshabhoomi

    By PTI
    NAGPUR: Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations at Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur on April 14 will be simple and would involve a limited number of people in view of the surge in coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, the organisation overseeing the annual function said on Monday.

    In a release, the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Smarak Samiti said the programme would adhere to COVID-19 protocols, and will comprise its members and monks offering ‘Buddha Vandana’ as tribute to the legendary social reformer and jurist.

    The Samiti’s secretary, Sudhir Fulzele, asked people not to gather at the Deekshabhoomi memorial and to pay tribute in the confines of their homes due to the outbreak.

    Annually, several lakh people from across the country assemble on April 14 to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti.