COVID-19: Supreme Court asks Cente to consider plea seeking increase in number of testing, quarantine centres

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Central govt to look into a plea seeking directions for an increase in the number of testing centres & quarantine centres across the country to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

A bench headed by CJI SA Bobde asked the Centre to consider the plea, filed by journalist Prashant Tandon & social activist Kunajana Singh.

The court asked the petitioners to give representation to the Central govt, which will consider the petition.

The Supreme court also asked state govts to consider plea as a representation & look into the Public Iinterest Litigation seeking closure of all places of worship to ensure social distancing.

CJI SA Bobde said the court can't pass orders that it can't implement & added that it will ask all states to consider the matter.

"We are informed that the govt has become very active & is taking steps. Everybody is saying the govt is acting very responsibly & doing a good job. Let them do their job," CJI Bobde said.

The plea also sought directions for setting up temporary hospital beds & facilitating thermal screening at public places.

Currently, Centre has notified 52 laboratories set-up across the country to test for coronavirus, while keeping the privately-run laboratories outside the purview of the same. Thereby the SC should direct the UOI to increase the laboratories, the petition said.

This comes as at least 415 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in the country.

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