While hearing a batch of PIL pleas related to the coronavirus pandemic for the second consecutive day on Thursday, the Telangana High Court directed the State government to publish ward-wise COVID-19 positive patients’ lists in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
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These lists should be communicated to associations of residential colonies so that they, in turn, alert the public about the spread of the virus. This would help people realise the situation and take precautions, said the Bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy.
After hearing Gandhi Hospital, the nodal COVID-19 treatment centre in the State, and Public Health Director Srinivasa Rao for nearly two hours, the Bench passed a slew of instructions and suggestions for the government. It directed the government to step up sample collection and testing for the virus.
The Bench also suggested that the government comply with the Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines with regard to rapid tests. “Tests should be conducted on asymptomatic direct contacts [those living in the same house or working in close proximity to a positive person] between the fifth and 10th day of coming in contact with an infected person,” the Bench said.
