The High Court of Bombay has ordered all airlines providing domestic and international flight services, including Vande Bharat special flight services, to adhere to the May 31 guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) till the Court pronounces its order in a writ petition filed by a pilot of national carrier Air India.
An expert committee of DGCA, while responding to the query raised by the bench of Justice SJ Kathawalla and Justice SP Tavade on whether Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, could spread through inadvertent touch informed the High Court of Bombay that the virus could spread by an inadvertent touch only if the droplet from the sneeze or cough of an infected person was touched by an unaffected person. The committee further clarified that if the infected persons were wearing a proper PPE kit then the virus would not spread through mere touch.
Elaborating on it, the committee’s report said, “If a surface, like clothes, is infected with Covid-19 virus (such infection will take place when the droplet from the mouth or nose – sneezing or coughing – of an infected person sits on such a surface) and a non-infected person touches it and then touches his mouth or nose, then there are chances that the second person may get infected. This is the reason why it is recommended that a person should disinfect his hands regularly.”
“If an infected person merely touches a non-infected person, the virus will not be transmitted unless the condition mentioned above are fulfilled, that is the transmission has to take place through the droplet carrying the virus sitting on clothes and ultimately these reaching the mouth, nose or eyes of the other person,” the clarification further states.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta while referring to the committee’s response informed the Court, “If an infected person is wearing a protective gown and a non-infected person is sitting next to him/her, even if the infected persons clothes has the virus sitting on it, the protective gown would insulate this person and if the neighbouring person in inadvertently touches the gown, this person will not be infected as the gown would provide the necessary shield.”
After hearing the clarification and the intervention of IndiGo, GoAir and SpiceJet airlines which also supported the stand of Air India that the middle seats were being filled out of compulsion due to the high demand by fliers but all precautionary measures recommended by DGCA were being adhered to, the court said till it passes a detailed order, all domestic and international airlines have to comply with the May 31 guidelines and SOPs issued by DGCA.
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