[Coronavirus] Facilitate thermal Screening at Public places as a precautionary measure to contain the outbreak of COVID-19. PIL in Supreme Court

(Judicial Quest News Network)

A PIL has been moved in Apex Court urging it to issue the directions to exponentially increase the number of authorised laboratories testing the Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) in India, given the huge population of the country.

The PIL has been filed by journalist, Prashant Tandon and Social Activist, Kunajana Singh through Advocates Ashima Mandla and Fuzzail Ahmed Ayyubi.

The petitioner contends that the Constitution of India both explicitly and implicitly provides for a right to safety as well as the right to healthy standard of living along with improved public health, thereby offering healthy national protection that is likely more accessible to Indian citizens than similar safeguards provided by international bodies.

Similarly, the plea also calls for increasing the number of quarantine and isolation centres, so that the country can be prepared in the event that the number of affected persons rises.

Further it has learnt that, due to ever increasing threat of novel coronavirus looming large, the Union Health Ministry has decided to stock up at least 50,000 personal protection equipment (PPE) kits for doctors and other medical staff treating the patients which may not be sufficient at all with the increasing affected persons.

Which includes disposable clothing, boots, masks and gloves, in case India witnesses an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus and it is unconfirmed if they have already procured or not. States and Union Territories were also asked to review the availability of earmarked isolation PPE kits and N95 masks to ensure adequate preparedness. However, given the magnitude of severity in the prevailing circumstances, merely 50,000 PPE kits may be insufficient.

The petitioners point out that the COVID-19 has so far spread across 152 countries and thereby termed as a pandemic.

Furthermore, the number of persons who have contracted the said infection has increased at an alarming rate and surpassed 1,56,000*, globally within a short period of 4 months, is indicative that human-to-human transmission has been very rapid.

The petitioners have made following prayers before the Court.

1. Direct Government to exponentially increase the number of authorized laboratories for testing Coronavirus (COVID-19) in order  to ensure  widespread accessibility of the testing centers given the huge population of our country;
   1. Direct the Government to facilitate thermal screening at public places as a precautionary measure to contain the outbreak of COVID-19;

[Read the Petition]