Will hold SEC meeting to review Covid containment measures: Maharashtra govt to HC

THE MAHARASHTRA government on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that its State Executive Committee (SEC) under the Disaster Management (DM) Act will meet to consider and review Covid-19 restrictions in light of the March 22 letter of the Union Home Ministry, which has asked states to reconsider the precautionary measures for Covid-19 pandemic.

The Court was informed about the communication by the Union Home Secretary to all states and union territories, urging them to consider appropriately discontinuing issue of orders and guidelines under the DM Act for Covid-19 containment measures. The letter had also stated that governments will still need to remain watchful of the situation.

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The Union Health Ministry may keep issuing advisories and states may announce necessary steps to be taken if a surge is reported, the letter added.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Makarand S Karnik was hearing a PIL challenging the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the state on March 1, extending its earlier decision which permitted only “fully vaccinated” people to board local trains, visit malls and workplaces, and made masks mandatory.