Supreme Court appeal Centre, States to consider imposing lockdown to control Covid second wave

Amid an exponential rise in coronavirus cases, the Supreme Court has urged the Centre and states “to consider imposing a lockdown to break the chain in the interest of public welfare”. It also directed the central government to revisit its initiatives and protocols, including the availability of oxygen, availability and pricing of vaccines, and availability of essential drugs at affordable prices.

A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud, in its order passed in the suo motu case for ensuring essential supplies and services during the Covid-19 pandemic, also asked the Centre and state governments to put on record the efforts taken and to be taken by them in future to



ensure that the disease does not spread further.

In a 64-page order uploaded on the apex court's website late Sunday night, the bench, also comprising justices L Nagesara Rao and S Ravindra Bhat, said, “In light of the continuing surge of infections in the second wave of the pandemic, we direct the Central Government and State Governments to put on record the efforts taken to curb the spread of the virus and the measures that they plan on taking in the near future.”

“They may also consider imposing a lockdown to curb the virus in the second wave in the interest of public welfare,” Justice Chandrachud, writing the order for the bench, said.