'Execute Covid protocols scrupulously'

New Delhi: Even as fervent crowds return to marketplaces across the Capital ahead of the festive season, the Delhi High Court on Monday told authorities to "scrupulously execute" the Covid guidelines and protocols put in place by respective administrations at marketplaces this festive season so that a third wave of the pandemic can be avoided.

The high court's order came while hearing a PIL initiated on its own on violation of COVID-19 protocols in various markets in the national capital. The high court said it does not want to see penalties being collected from people for violation of COVID-19 norms but it wants that the crowd is being managed nicely by the authorities.

"We expect from the respondents (Centre, Delhi government and Delhi Police) that these guidelines, Standard Operating Procedure (SoP), COVID appropriate behaviour, and controlling of the crowd at market places will be executed by them scrupulously in this festive season," a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said. All the steps mentioned by the authorities in their respective status reports must be taken and a further status report should be filed by them before the next date of hearing on November 30, the bench ordered.

"Your guidelines, SoP, and protocol must be followed very scrupulously. See this is festival season. Strict compliance is required," the bench told the counsel for both the governments, adding that it was keeping the matter pending as it wants to see how the authorities are controlling the situation.

The court noted that in the status reports, the authorities have mentioned the steps taken by them on COVID appropriate behaviour and how to control the crowd at marketplaces as well as for engagement of volunteers for implementation of guidelines and sanitization of public utilities. The Centre was represented through Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma and standing counsel Anil Soni while the Delhi government's standing counsel submitted that they have issued timely guidelines for this and even shut down markets found to be overcrowded. To this, the court said the authorities should ensure that these guidelines, which have been nicely drafted, are strictly complied with.

The high court, in June, had initiated proceedings on its own after taking note of certain photographs sent to one of its judges on WhatsApp by an AIIMS doctor showing scant regard for COVID-19 protocols by street vendors in markets.

The court had observed that such breaches would only hasten the third wave of coronavirus which cannot be permitted at all. The high court had said if this behaviour of flouting COVID-19 norms continues "we will be in great trouble".

"We have paid a huge price in the second wave. We don't know if there is any household which has not suffered in the second wave, closely or remotely," the bench had observed, adding that "we as a citizen of this city are worried when we see these images". It had further said the memory of the second wave of COVID-19 is still fresh with so many people who have suffered personal loss.

The national Capital reported 27 cases of COVID-19 and zero death in a day while the positivity rate stood at 0.06 per cent, according to data shared by the health department. There are 307 active Covid cases in Delhi, of which 91 are in home isolation.