Delhi High Court Urges Indian Government to Speed Up Covid Guidelines Amid Rising Cases

With reports of rising Covid-19 cases in India, especially in Delhi, the Delhi High Court has asked the Indian government to quickly finalize and implement guidelines for how Covid samples should be collected and transported.

The court made this request while hearing a case filed by Dr. Rohit Jain, who said the government had failed to follow earlier court instructions. The court had already ordered in January 2023 that proper rules be made within 12 weeks, but the work is still not finished.

Although the government has formed expert sub-committees to prepare these rules, the court said the delay is worrying—especially since recent news shows that Covid is still active in the community. The judge said the situation needs quick action and cannot be taken lightly.

In the meantime, several Asian countries like China, Thailand, and Singapore are also reporting new Covid outbreaks. Because of this, Indian authorities are increasing surveillance and asking hospitals to be ready. The Delhi government has told hospitals to check if they have enough beds, oxygen, medicines, and working equipment like ventilators.

As of now, Delhi has around 483 active Covid-19 cases, according to India’s Ministry of Health.

Since India is Nepal’s neighbour and people frequently travel between the two countries, rising Covid cases in India could affect Nepal too. The Nepali government may also need to increase testing, ensure hospital readiness, and stay alert to avoid another outbreak.