Posters not to be pasted outside homes of Covid-19 positive persons: AAP govt to HC

NEW DELHI: The AAP government on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that it has instructed all its officials not to paste posters outside homes of Covid-19 positive persons or those in home isolation and those pasted have been ordered to be removed.

The Delhi government, represented by its additional standing counsel Satyakam, also told the high court that its officials have also not been allowed to share details of Covid-19 positive persons with their neighbours, resident welfare associations or Whatsapp groups.

In view of the submission made by the government, a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad disposed of the PIL seeking framing of guidelines to do away with pasting posters outside homes of Covid-19 positive persons or those in home isolation.

The bench was of the view that pursuant to steps taken by the Delhi government the issue raised in the plea, by lawyer Kush Kalra, need not be monitored any longer.

Kalra, in his plea through advocate Kush Sharma, had contended that freely circulating to RWAs and on Whatsapp groups, the names of persons who tested positive for Covid-19 was "leading to stigmatisation and drawing of unnecessary attention".

The petition had stated that Covid-19 positive persons "ought to be given privacy to cope with and recover from the illness in peace and away from prying eyes".

"Rather they are being made the centre of public attention..," it had said.

It had also claimed that this has resulted in persons "shying away and deliberately choosing not to test themselves" to shield themselves from the "public embarrassment and stigmatisation" which is also caused by pasting posters outside homes of Covid-19 positive patients.