Supreme Court Stays Odisha HC Order Barring Return of Migrants Without Testing COVID-19 Negative

New Delhi, May 8: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed an order issued by the Odisha High Court a day earlier, which barred the return of migrants to the state without testing negative for COVID-19. The apex court, while hearing an urgent plea, ruled that it is not necessitated for the migrants to undergo a test for coronavirus before boarding their conveyance. Migrants Returning to Odisha Must Test COVID-19 Negative Before Boarding Conveyance, Rules High Court.

The top court's injunction comes as a relief for the migrants, as well as the Odisha government, which was tasked by the HC to ensure that the returnees possess a certificate to guarantee that they have tested negative for the contagious disease.

The High Court order was triggered by a public interest litigation (PIL), which pointed towards an alarming rise in coronavirus cases in the state following the return of migrants from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala and other industrial provinces of the nation.

Update by ANI

On the day when High Court ruled in favour of the petitioners, Odisha recorded its sharpest spike in COVID-19 cases, with a total of 21 new infections being recorded. All the patients who tested positive were migrants returning from Surat in Gujarat, earlier this week.

The toll of COVID-19 cases in Odisha stands at 248 -- making it one of the relatively less affected states in India. The numbers include two fatalities and 85 recoveries. Across India, the number of coronavirus cases jumped to over 56,000 today, with the death count climbing to 1,886.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 08, 2020 06:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).