New Delhi: A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to prioritise mass testing to identify and treat coronavirus infected persons, especially in the hotspot areas identified across the country.
The plea has been moved by three lawyers and a law student based at Prayagraj, contended the testing rate for coronavirus in India is amongst the lowest in the world and mass testing is required, to identify and isolate infected persons, which will play a crucial role in breaking the chain of transmission.
"Shocking spike in the number of coronavirus infected cases within a matter of days, shows that it may only be the tip of the iceberg and we are oblivious to the real gravity of the situation", said the plea. It contended that mass testing should begin on priority, especially in states which are critically affected with the outbreak of the viral infection.
The plea also sought direction to Centre and state governments to transfer the funds collected under various relief funds -- Prime Minister National Relief Fund (PMNRF), PM-Cares fund and Chief Minister relief funds, to the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) - in the procurement materials essential in the fight against the coronavirus. The essential material includes personal protective equipment (PPEs), testing kits, ventilators, creation and maintenance of quarantine facilities.
"Accordingly, universal house-to-house testing is indispensable for the purpose of tracing the infected COVID-19 carriers/patients and isolating them for good, otherwise the whole exercise of our fight against COVID-19 pandemic would prove to be futile and the country and public at large would suffer irreparable consequences and untold misery," said the plea.
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