New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday took note of 35 children testing positive for COVID-19 in a government-run shelter home in Tamil Nadu. It sought a status report from the state government including steps taken to protect other children at the facility.
A bench of justices L Nageswara Rao, Krishna Murari and S Ravindra Bhat also sought status report from different state governments on steps taken to protect children in shelter homes amid the pandemic, and also compliance of its April 3 order in this regard.
The bench said it appears that 35 out of 57 children in a Protection Home at Royapuram, Chennai have been infected with COVID-19. They have been hospitalized. The remaining children have been shifted to an adjacent building.
“We direct the Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, State of Tamil Nadu and secretary to Social Welfare Department to submit a report giving details of the reasons for the spread of COVID-19 in the said protection home. The status of the health of children in conflict with law in various protection homes in the State of Tamil Nadu shall be given in the report which shall be submitted by June 15, 2020,” the bench said.
It said a detailed order was passed April 3 the Court on April 3 dealing with all issues pertaining to children in conflict with law and several directions were given to the State Governments for taking preventive measures to protect children from the spread of COVID-19.
The top court said that Juvenile Justice Committees of high courts will circulate a questionnaire of the court among state governments seeking information in relation to the care and protection of children in conflict with law and submit their feedback before June 30.
The top court annexed the questionnaire with the order, saying the format has been developed with the purpose of monitoring the situation of children in institutions and in need of care and protection in COVID-19 situation based on the April 3 order.
The bench said that this format would help the court to review the challenges faced by the authorities, child welfare committee, juvenile justice boards and district child protection units in holding virtual sessions, restoring children back to families as well in following up to the constraints of the lockdown and develop measures to deal with these.