Petitions related to COVID-19 outbreak: Delhi HC closed proceedings

New Delhi [India], August 2 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday decided to close the proceeding in a batch of petitions related to the COVID-19 situation in the national capital including vaccination, shortage of beds at that time, health infrastructure of hospitals, oxygen availabilities and testing etc.
The matter being heard by a bench of the High Court presided over by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Subramonium Prasad said, we have decided to close the proceedings with liberty granted to concerned parties to re-approach the court in case of any grievance occurs.
The court was hearing a petition filed by advocate Rakesh Malhotra and other several petitions on various issues arising due to the rise in Covid cases in the national capital.
Firstly, Rakesh Malhotra who filed the petition in 2020, the plea had sought for increasing the COVID-19 testing numbers in the national capital and getting speedy results. After the situation changed, the ambit of the proceedings widened and the court continued to monitor how authorities handled the pandemic situation, especially during the second wave of COVID-19 last year.
During the time of Omicron, in an affidavit filed by the Centre has apprised the Delhi High Court that keeping in view the recent global surge of COVID-19 cases, detection of Omicron variant which has been categorized as a Variant of Concern (VOC), scientific evidence, global practices and the inputs/suggestions of 'COVID-19 Working Group of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI)' as well as of 'Standing Technical Scientific Committee (STSC)' of NTAGI it has now been decided to further refine the scientific prioritisation and coverage of COVID-19 vaccination.
"COVID-19 Vaccination of children in the age group of 15-18 years to be started
from 3rd January 2022. For such beneficiaries, the vaccination option would be "Covaxin" only," the affidavit read.
"As a matter of abundant precaution, for those Health Care Workers (HCWS) and Front Line Workers (FLWS) who have received two doses, another dose of COVID-19 vaccine would be provided from January 10, 2022. The prioritisation and sequencing of this precaution dose would be based on the completion of nine months ie 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose," the affidavit further read.
Further, the Centre, in its affidavit, said, "All persons aged 60 years and above with comorbidities who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, will on Doctor's advice be provided with a precaution dose from January 10, 2022. The prioritization and sequencing of this precaution dose would be based on the completion of nine months i.e. 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose."
It also added that all citizens, irrespective of their income status, are entitled to free COVID-19 vaccination at government vaccination centres, and those who have the ability to pay are encouraged to use private hospitals' vaccination centres.
The affidavit was filed in the ongoing matter relating to the COVID-19 crisis. In vividh 19 proceedings, the Court examined various issues, including shortage of medical oxygen, life-saving drugs, hospital beds, black marketing of medicines and oxygen cylinders and infrastructure in hospitals etc.