On July 9, 2021, in court on its own motion, Mr. Somik Deb, Amicus Curiae, and the Tripura High Court observed that people who have received their first dose of vaccine (Covishield or Covaxin) must not be forced to wait for the second dose, even when the time period between the two doses is over. To ensure that the vaccination is completed within the allotted time period, the High Court ordered the state government to increase the number of vaccination doses.
The court noticed that around 14 lakh people have already received their first dose of the vaccine and are yet to receive the second dose of the same. For this, the court asked the state administration to think about the amount of doses that would be required to fulfil the said demand. The court also held the claims of two newspapers false, who stated that 80% of the population of the state has been conferred with the first dose of vaccine. Thus, the court ordered the National Health Mission to issue a correction statement to the said newspapers.
The court also directed the State Government to implement the COVID 19 safety guidelines and ensure that the same is being rightly followed by the people.