In Brief

The Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of public non-compliance with COVID-19 guidelines and SOPs. The Court held that the right to health under Article 21 includes protection from harm caused by others' failure to follow safety measures. Citizens have a constitutional duty to comply with health guidelines, and non-compliance infringes the rights of others. The Court directed all States and Union Territories to strictly enforce COVID-19 prevention measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing, permitting suitable modifications to suit local needs, and granted four weeks for States to report compliance measures.

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