The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday directed the Central government and the Uttar Pradesh government to provide a detailed, phase-wise, Covid-19 vaccination programme planned for the state by January 22.
This order has been given by a division bench of Justices Siddhartha Varma and Ajit Kumar on a PIL by In-Re Inhuman Condition At Quarantine Centres And For Providing Better Treatment To Corona Positive.
The Principal Secretary (Health), Uttar Pradesh, has provided a certain time table for the vaccination. However, the time table only indicates that the vaccination would commence from 16th January 2021 and when first phase would be over and the second phase would begin, is not at all clear from the instructions. A detailed instructions, therefore, be provided on the next date of hearing, the bench said.
The bench observed that there is no clarity as to when the second phase would begin, who all shall be included in these phases, etc. It has therefore directed the Principal Secretary of the Health Department to set forth detailed instructions on the issue.
With regard to the modality of the Covid-19 vaccination regarding Magh Mela, the Additional Advocate General has placed before the Court, new guidelines by which the Government proposes to contain the spread of the virus. We only hope and trust that the guidelines placed before us, are adhered to quite religiously and that people coming to the Magh Mela also cooperate with the State Authority and district administration.
With respect to the first issue, as mentioned above, the Court has sought a definite date and intended programme as to when and how the vaccination for the elimination of Covid-19 would be done in Uttar Pradesh.
With respect to the second issue, the Court observed that the State is closely monitoring the situation and is leaving no stone unturned to see that the infection does not spread in schools.
Nevertheless, it expressed that the schools, colleges should be made to run with the most limited staff, students keeping in mind that pandemic Covid-19 is still around.
So far as Magh Mela is concerned, the Court expressed that such congregations are very large in number and, if even one infected person sneaks inside the City, he can create havoc.
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The Court was informed that every individual who would enter Prayagraj for the occasion would be allowed to enter only if he/she had a negative RT-PCR report within five days of entering Prayagraj.