Amid coronavirus scare, SC directs court functioning to be restricted to urgent matters

Amid coronavirus outbreak in the country, the Supreme Court has issued a notification on Friday stating that functioning of the Courts shall be restricted to urgent matters with a limited number of benches. The notification said that the decision has been taken keeping in view the March 5 advisory of the Government of India. On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. The number of cases in India has risen up to 81 on Friday. 

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Coronavirus and precautions to be taken 

The coronavirus (CoV) is a novel strain in the large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to acute respiratory syndromes. Common symptoms of the novel coronavirus (nCoV) strain include respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties, as per WHO. While there is no vaccine to protect against this family of viruses, WHO has released a list of precaution that must be followed amid the worldwide outbreak of the virus. 

• Wash your hands frequently
• Maintain social distancing
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
• Practice respiratory hygiene
• If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care as soon as possible
• Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider, stay away from fake news 

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Coronavirus in India 

The first case of coronavirus was reported in Kerala on January 30. The health ministry said in a statement that the patient is a student at Wuhan University in China. As on Thursday, the toll rose up to 73, as per official record. Earlier on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare along with suspending Visas, issued an advisory for people with visa-free travel, and to OCI cardholders, stating that visa-free access will be temporarily suspended with effect from March 13, 2020. 

The statement also specified that all incoming travellers, including Indian nationals, arriving from Coronavirus-affected countries, namely, China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain, and Germany after February 15, 2020, will have to undergo a minimum 14-day period of mandatory quarantine. 

The Ministry's advisory cautioned that International traffic through land borders will be limited to designated check posts with meticulous screening facilities. These checkpoints will be notified separately by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Notably, the statement also mentioned that enhanced testing facilities for students in Italy to collect samples will be arranged. Those tested negative will be allowed to travel and will be quarantined on arrival in India for 14 days.

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