Due to prolonged home quarantine direction of Delhi Government, one of the 72 persons who came in contact with the infamous COVID-19 infected pizza delivery person, has moved the Delhi High Court.
Single Judge Bench of Justice C Hari Shankar has issued a notice in the petition.
Amit Bhargava (Petitioner), a photo journalist, has informed the Court that he came in contact with the infected pizza delivery boy on the intervening night of March 24-25. Advocates Shyel Tehran and Diya Kapur represented the petition
The Petitioner informed the Court that a ‘Home Quarantine Notice’ was pasted at his residence on April 15, stating that the Petitioner shall be home quarantined from March 24 to April 20.
On April 17, another ‘Home Quarantine Notice’ was pasted on the door of the Petitioner’s home, informing that his quarantine period shall be from April 14 to April 28.
Petitioner’s grievance was that the manner in which the quarantine notice displayed information was incomplete. It did not clarify that the infected individual was diagnosed only on April 14 i.e. approximately 20 days after contact with the Petitioner.
It caused great reputational damage to the Petitioner. The Court was informed that as per the Ministry of Health & Family of Welfare Guidelines, the 14-day quarantine period should have come to an end on April 7 itself and there was no basis for a home quarantine period of over 30 days from the date of exposure, either clinically or in law.
The Petitioner has also highlighted that on April 20, certain individuals came to his residence for the purpose of testing but left without taking any sample.
The petitioner has prayed for a direction to quash Home quarantine notice and a direction to the Delhi Government to clarify whether a person who has been exposed to the virus ought to be quarantined for 14 days from exposure or 28 days from exposure.
The matter will be heard next on May 11.
