COVID-19 surge: Delhi HC asks lawyers, litigants to wear masks, follow protocol

The high court, in a circular issued on its administrative side, noted the spread of the infection in the national capital and advised against large gatherings in the common and waiting areas to avoid any further spread of the virus.

PTI

April 20, 2023 / 20:16 IST

Delhi HC

Considering the surge in COVID-19 cases, Delhi High Court on Thursday made it mandatory for lawyers, litigants and its staff members to wear face masks on the premises and follow appropriate protocol.

The high court, in a circular issued on its administrative side, noted the spread of the infection in the national capital and advised against large gatherings in the common and waiting areas to avoid any further spread of the virus.

"Hon'ble the Chief Justice has been pleased to order that due to surge in the COVID-19 cases in the NCT (National Capital Territory) of Delhi, in order to contain and combat the spread of COVID-19 cases, all the concerned ie staff working in this court and members of the bar, including their staff and the litigants, are hereby directed to make use of face masks at all times in the premises of this court as a matter of caution, not to gather in large number at common areas, waiting areas of court blocks as far as possible and follow appropriate Covid protocols in letter and spirit to avoid any further spread of the virus," according to an order issued by Registrar General Ravinder Dudeja.

In the circular, Dudeja requested all high court officials to ensure that the directions issued from time to time to contain the spread of COVID-19 are strictly followed.

India recorded 12,591 new Covid cases in a day, the highest in around eight months, while the active caseload rose to 65,286, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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