SC raps Guj, Delhi over worsening Covid situation, asks Centre, states to file report

New Delhi: The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened in Delhi and gone out of control in Gujarat, the Supreme Court said on Monday, directing the Centre and all states to apprise it within two days of the steps taken to contain the situation nationwide. The situation is likely to worsen in December and all states have to be ready to "combat" it, the top court said while expressing concern over the spurt in Coronavirus cases across the country. A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R S Reddy and M R Shah said, We are of the view that the immediate steps are required to be taken by all the States as well as by the Union of India.

"Let status report, as indicated, be filed within two days from today and the matter be listed on November 27, 2020 for consideration and passing appropriate orders."

The bench told Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for Delhi government, things have worsened in Delhi especially in November. You file a status report on what steps are being taken to contain the situation. In Gujarat, the situation is going out of control, said the bench, while noting that this month there has been a spike in the COVID cases throughout the country, especially in Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

There is a spike in cases and this is only November. Prepare for the worst in December. You have to take immediate steps, the bench told advocate Rahul Chitnis, appearing for Maharashtra. It pulled up the Gujarat government for allowing huge gatherings in functions including wedding celebrations saying that the cases are rising there and the situation has worsened in the State just after Delhi and Maharashtra.

The top court also sought to know the policy of the Gujarat government on allowing social gathering during the pandemic and said that situation has gone out of control in the state.

As per the data provided by the Union health ministry on Monday morning, India's COVID-19 caseload went past 91 lakh with 44,059 Coronavirus infections being reported in a day, while the recoveries surged to 85,62,641. India has been registering less than 50,000 COVID-19 cases daily since November 8. The total coronavirus cases mounted to 91,39,865, while the death toll climbed to 1,33,738 with 511 new fatalities including 121 from Delhi alone, the data updated at 8 am showed. The number of active cases remained below 5 lakh for the thirteenth consecutive day.There are 4,43,486 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country as on date which comprises 4.85 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated. The national recovery rate was recorded 93.68 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.46 per cent.

Delhi recorded 4,454 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday and a positivity rate of 11.94 per cent while 121 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 8,512. Gujarat on Monday reported 1,487 fresh coronavirus positive cases, taking the count of infections to 1,98,899.