Citizens have dropped guard after vaccination; COVID-19 cases may rise, says Bombay HC

Representative image (File image: AFP)

The Bombay High Court on Monday said there was a chance of active COVID-19 cases rising despite large-scale vaccination as people were dropping their guard after getting inoculated.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni said chances of Maharashtra witnessing a spike in cases was likely, especially during the festive season, since several citizens had stopped following safety protocols imposed by the government.

"Despite large-scale vaccination, there are chances of increase in COVID-19 cases. This can be attributed to people dropping their guard after getting vaccinated and not following COVID appropriate behaviour," HC said.

The bench made the observations while hearing a public interest litigation filed by social worker Firoz Mithiborwala seeking quashing of Maharashtra government's Standard Operation Procedure (SOPs) and its notification not permitting local train travel for those who were yet to complete both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Mithiborwala, in his PIL, claimed the government's SOP, dated August 10, and the notification, dated August 11, breached people's fundamental right to equality before the law guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution.

The HC, however, refused to pass any interim order to stay the SOPs or the local train travel notification, and said the restrictions were imposed in larger public interest, and the same could not be held illegal or malafide.

The bench said after Onam, there was a spike in cases in Kerala, and added that people were responsible for such a situation as they tend to become negligent after vaccination. The HC will hear the PIL further next month.