Afghan protestors outside UNHCR could act as super spreader of COVID-19, says HC

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Wednesday expressed concern over a large gathering of Afghan nationals protesting outside UNHCR office and seeking refugee status, saying it could act as a super spreader of coronavirus as there is lack of adherence to COVID-19 appropriate norms.

The high court said the situation cannot be permitted to continue as the protestors could be seen sitting and standing next to each other without even wearing masks and asked the authorities to act on it.

Justice Rekha Palli asked the Centre, Delhi government and police to coordinate on how the issue can be resolved and to see the gathering does not act as a super spreader of COVID-19.

The high court issued notices to the ministries of Home Affairs and External Affairs, Delhi government, Delhi Police, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi Jal Board on a petition by Vasant Vihar Welfare Association which stated that the foreign nationals (refugees/ asylum seekers) have gathered outside the office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) at B Block in South Delhi's Vasant Vihar since August 15, including lanes and parks adjoining it and residents are facing difficulties due to this.

The point is that the general public is suffering because of this, the court said and asked the Delhi government to inform what it has done in pursuance to the Supreme Court's direction to frame guidelines on the issue of the right to protest so as to ensure a balance between fundamental rights and the maintenance of law and order.

The petition said the number of such foreign nationals from Afghanistan has increased manifold in the past week owing to the takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban forces, forcing many to seek asylum in different countries including India.

Meanwhile, no death due to COVID-19 was recorded in Delhi on Wednesday, while 36 fresh cases were reported with a positivity rate of 0.06 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department.

This is the 20th time since the start of the second Covid wave in the national capital that zero fatality has been logged in a day.

On July 18, July 24, July 29, August 2, August 4, August 8, August 11, August 12, August 13, August 16, August 20, August 21, August 22, August 23 and August 24, August 26, August 27, August 28 and August 29 too, no daily deaths due to COVID-19 was recorded, as per official data.

The death toll due to the coronavirus infection in Delhi stood at 25,082 on Tuesday.

A total of 59,013 tests, including 39,731 RT-PCR tests and 19,182 rapid antigen tests, were conducted a day ago, according to the health bulletin issued on Wednesday.

The number of cumulative cases on Wednesday stood at 14,37,800. Over 14.12 lakh patients have recovered from the disease.

The number of active cases decreased to 343 on Wednesday from 349 a day before, as per the bulletin.