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Journalism of Courage
The Telangana High Court Tuesday set aside a government circular issued on April 24 directing not to test bodies and said bodies of all those who die should be tested before being released for funerals as a precautionary measure. It directed the state government to provide data on Covid-19 tests, including the number of migrants who have returned to the state and those who tested positive. It also sought clarification on the government’s decision to classify affected areas as green zones.
A bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice N Vijaysen Reddy was hearing five PILs filed by activists. “Rather than congratulating ourselves for having fewer coronavirus cases, the state should take up more tests. Ignoring the presence of coronavirus by not testing in large numbers is almost like inviting the Trojan horse,” Justice Chauhan noted.
The court also asked if secondary contacts of migrants testing positive have been traced and what the situation was in villages where migrants have gone. It sought a detailed report on red and orange zones declared as green zones.
The bench posted the matter for further hearing on June 4.
The court was very critical of the government for not revealing testing data from Suryapet and Nirmal districts where several cases were reported last month. “Why were tests not conducted in high risk areas? The number of tests in Telangana is less as compared to other states. The US is a very advanced country with world class medical facilities but still it has been affected and over 1 lakh have died there. India has taken precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. Why is the Telangana government under testing? It cannot hide behind the fig leaf of financial constraints as human lives are most important,” the bench said while hearing the matter through video-conferencing.
Regarding a petition over the government not conducting tests on bodies, the court observed that medical care personnel who handle the bodies, as well as family members and relatives who attend last rites, will be exposed to coronavirus if the person died of it.
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