The Allahabad High Court, while ordering lockdown in five cities across Uttar Pradesh, slammed the state government for failing to take adequate preparations "even after one long year of practice and learning." The cities of Prayagraj, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur, and Gorakhpur have been put under curfew until April 26.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Court issued the order in a suo moto situation. Last week, the bench issued a lengthy order that included many counter-measure suggestions and requested the government's response. The Court stated that the "medical health infrastructure that the government has built in the past, can cater to the needs of less than 0.5 percent of the city population," referring to hospital statistics in Prayagraj. The situation is much worse in villages. The order reflected the dire situation in which VIP recommendations are needed for COVID-19 tests, Remedesivir injections, and hospital beds, among other things. Only VVIPs receive reports within 6-12 hours, according to the statement.

The Court expressed strong disappointment with the way the government and the State Election Commission handled the election, which included requiring teachers and other government employees to perform duties that put them at risk of pandemic. It bemoaned the fact that "police were practically moved to polling places, giving priority to the election over public health." Many physicians and medical personnel were poisoned, and the others were overburdened, according to the Court. "The whole infrastructure would fail, and relief would be limited to VIPs and VVIPs," it said if the pandemic outbreak is not halted to provide some respite to medical and paramedical personnel.

‘We believe that in the current situation, if people are restricted from leaving their homes for a week in the first place, the current chain of COVID infection can be broken and that this would provide some relief to frontline medical and health workers, allowing them to focus on those patients who have already been admitted.’ The court expresses its dissatisfaction with the way local government elections were conducted.