Stay over prepared to face third wave of COVID-19 than being under prepared, says Madras HC

The Madras High Court on Monday reminded the Centre and the State government of the necessity to be over prepared, rather than being under prepared and later rue for not having garnered additional res

The Madras High Court on Monday reminded the Centre and the State government of the necessity to be over prepared, rather than being under prepared and later rue for not having garnered additional resources, if a third wave of COVID-19 is also in the offing as experts suggest. The court said the object of the exercise to be carried out by the governments should be to prepare for the worst and hope that the worst does not hit us. Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy made the observations in an interim order passed on a public interest litigation, taken up by the court suo motu, to monitor the fight against the pandemic. Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram informed the court of the Supreme Court having constituted a National Task Force to allot oxygen, COVID-19 vaccines and drugs to all States and union territories on an equitable basis. After recording his submission, the judges wrote: “It is for the National Task Force to come up with plans and allocations. However, till such time that the National Task Force announces the allocations in consultation with local officials, it is the Union which is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the continuous supply of oxygen, vaccines and drugs to the States and Union Territories.”