‘Execute Covid protocols scrupulously'

AS CROWDS SWELL ACROSS MARKETS AHEAD OF FESTIVITIES, HC WARNS

NEW DELHI: Even as fervent crowds return to marketplaces across the Capital ahead of the festive season, the Delhi High Court on Monday told authorities to “scrupulously execute” the Covid guidelines and protocols put in place by respective administrations at marketplaces this festive season so that a third wave of the pandemic can be avoided.

The high court’s order came while hearing a PIL initiated on its own on violation of COVID19 protocols in various markets in the national capital. The high court said it does not want to see penalties being collected from people for violation of COVID19 norms but it wants that the crowd is being managed nicely by the authorities.

“We expect from the respondents (Centre, Delhi government and Delhi Police) that these guidelines, Standard Operating Procedure (SoP), COVID appropriate behaviour, and controlling of the crowd at market places will be executed by them scrupulously in this festive season,” a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said. All the steps mentioned by the authorities in their respective status reports must be taken and a further status report should be filed by them before the next date of hearing on November 30, the bench ordered.