New Delhi [India], June 2: The Delhi High Court has directed the Union Government to file a comprehensive status report detailing the measures taken to establish a policy for sample collection, collection centres, and transportation of samples, in light of continued concerns over COVID-19. The court underscored that the “next COVID-19 pandemic is far from over” and emphasized the urgency of finalizing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The directive was issued in response to a contempt plea filed by Dr. Rohit Jain, who claimed that authorities had failed to act on earlier court orders requiring minimum standards for sample collection and transport.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Anish Dayal noted a lack of clarity on actions taken after a key May 30, 2023 meeting chaired by the Additional Director General of Health Services. During that meeting, four expert sub-committees—consisting of specialists from government hospitals in pathology, biochemistry, hematology, and microbiology—were tasked with formulating the SOPs for proper sample handling and storage.
Government counsel Monika Arora had informed the court that a status report would be submitted soon. Despite progress, the court emphasized that the meeting’s outcomes must lead to tangible implementation.
The matter is now scheduled for further hearing on July 18, by which time the Centre must submit the updated report.
As of 8 AM on Monday, June 2, 2025, India has 3,961 active COVID-19 cases, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Since January, 32 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19, with four new fatalities reported on June 1 alone.