No scientific basis for ‘third wave’ fear but retain med facilities, Madras high court tells TN – Times of India

CHENNAI: There is no scientific basis, as of now, to expect or apprehend a third surge of Covid-19, and even less scientific basis to fear that the third wave may attack children more, observed the Madras high court on Tuesday.
“However, there were some reports in such regard and it is best that the facilities developed on an emergency basis to deal with the second surge are not dismantled immediately, so that in the event there is a third surge within the next four to six months, the same may be tackled with adequate facilities at hand,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said.
Supplies of oxygen had been augmented all round and the ability to produce oxygen should be retained in excess of what is the usual norm and close to what may have been the peak demand during the second surge. Similarly, the emergency beds arranged should not be undone immediately, the court added.
The court made the observations while closing a suo motu PIL proceedings it had initiated to monitor the general Covid-19 situation in Tamil Nadu, including demand and scarcity for the supply of remdesivir medicines, adequate life-saving oxygen cylinders and ventilators for the state.
There are certain other areas which need to be looked into, including students and others requiring travelling abroad and the accelerated need to provide vaccination, possibly the second dose, to such persons. The state and the Union territory should look into such matters and it is not necessary for the court to monitor or interfere in the day-to-day affairs in such regard any further, the court added.
“Since the matters appear now to be under control, these petitions have to be brought to an end with the hope that appropriate measures will be taken by both the Centre and the state government to deal with any further surge by being more prepared than the country was when the second surge descended upon us,” the bench said.