Petitions related to COVID-19 outbreak: Delhi HC closed proceedings

On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court made the decision to end the proceedings in a number of petitions pertaining to the COVID-19 situation in the nation’s capital, including vaccination, the lack of available beds at the time, hospital health infrastructure, oxygen availability and testing, among other issues.

We have decided to close the proceedings with the liberty granted to the concerned parties to re-approach the court in case any grievance occurs, the High Court bench presided over by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Subramonium Prasad said in regards to the matter that was being heard by them. The court was considering numerous petitions, including one from attorney Rakesh Malhotra, on a variety of problems related to the increase in Covid cases in the nation’s capital.

First, Rakesh Malhotra, who filed the case in 2020, demanded that the number of COVID-19 tests be increased in the national capital and that findings be delivered quickly. The scope of the proceedings was expanded once the circumstances changed, and the court continued to keep an eye on how the government handled the pandemic crisis, particularly during the second wave of COVID-19 last year.

In an affidavit submitted to the Delhi High Court during the Omicron outbreak, the Center informed the court that it had considered the COVID-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) and the Standing Technical Scientific Committee (STSC) of NTAGI as well as the recent global uptick in COVID-19 cases, the discovery of the Omicron variant, which had been classified as a Variant of Concern (VOC), as well as scientific data, international.

“COVID-19 Vaccination of children in the age group of 15-18 years to be started

from 3rd January 2022. For such beneficiaries, the vaccination option would be “Covaxin” only,” the affidavit read.

“As a matter of abundant precaution, for those Health Care Workers (HCWS) and Front Line Workers (FLWS) who have received two doses, another dose of COVID-19 vaccine would be provided from January 10, 2022. The prioritisation and sequencing of this precaution dose would be based on the completion of nine months ie 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose,” the affidavit further read.

Further, the Centre, in its affidavit, said, “All persons aged 60 years and above with comorbidities who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, will on Doctor’s advice be provided with a precaution dose from January 10, 2022. The prioritization and sequencing of this precaution dose would be based on the completion of nine months i.e. 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose.”

Additionally, it said that everyone in the country, regardless of their financial situation, is entitled to a free COVID-19 vaccine at government clinics, and that people who can afford it are urged to use the clinics run by private institutions.

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The affidavit was submitted as part of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis case. The Court looked at a number of concerns in the vividh 19 cases, including the absence of medical oxygen, the unavailability of life-saving medications, hospital beds, the black market sale of medications and oxygen cylinders, and hospital infrastructure.

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