Unvaccinated people, those allergic to drugs can go out for essential items, if none inoculated in household: Ker govt to HC

Those yet to receive COVID-19 vaccination or unable to take it due to drug allergy or any other ailment, can move out of their houses for essential activities like purchase of food items, including grocery, if there is no one in their household who has been vaccinated or has a negative RT-PCR report, the state government told the Kerala High Court on Wednesday.

The Kerala government told Justice P B Suresh Kumar that according to the latest COVID-19 guidelines issued on August 10, people living alone, not vaccinated and do not have a negative RT-PCR report can move out for essential activities and such persons shall be given priority service by the traders and local self government institutions.

The submission was made in response to a man’s plea claiming that not allowing people, who do not have at least one dose of vaccine or a negative RT-PCR test, to go to shops amounted to putting them under house arrest.

The lawyer for the petitioner, who suffers from drug allergies, contended that he cannot get vaccinated till a test dose of the vaccine is administered to him to check for any allergic reaction.

The lawyer also claimed that the district medical officials and even private hospitals were refusing to administer the test dose saying they have no instructions regarding the same.

The Kerala government lawyer said if the petitioner approaches the authorities, they will take care of his grievance.

In view of the submissions by the Kerala government counsel, the court said it will dispose of the plea seeking quashing of a clause in the August 4 guidelines which stipulated that only a person who has taken at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, before two weeks, or who has a RT-PCR negative certificate not older than 72 hours or has a COVID-19 positive result more than a month old, would be allowed in shops, markets, banks, public and private offices, etc.

He had also claimed, in his plea, that he had requested health authorities here to give him a test dose of the vaccine to check for any allergic reactions. But they declined to do so stating they did not have any instructions to deal with the particular situation which he was facing and as a result he is still unvaccinated.

He had contended that the delay in administering him a test dose of the vaccine was illegal and unjustified and violated his right to health which is part of the right to life guaranteed under the Constitution.