Can coronavirus be transmitted by touch? HC asks expert panel

The Bombay High Court on Thursday sought to know from an expert committee, set up by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to review public health care protocols for air travel, if coronavirus can be transmitted by mere touch of a person who is a carrier of the virus.

A division bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and S P Tavade was hearing a petition filed by Air India pilot Deven Kanani, who claimed the airline was not keeping the middle seats vacant in flights bringing back stranded people to India.

Counsels of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) pointed out to the court minutes of the meeting held on May 26, 2020 by the expert committee under the chairmanship of the civil aviation secretary, by which it reviewed and strengthened public health related protocols of air travel.

As per the minutes of the meeting, physical distance between two persons helps in minimising transmission through an inadvertent touch, and if persons sitting next to each other could be provided a protective suit which could help in preventing spread of virus either by droplets or by touch.

"We seek clarification from the expert committee as to whether by mere touch of a person carrying COVID-19 virus, it can be transmitted to the person so touched, the court asked and posted the matter for further hearing on Friday.

On Thursday, other air carriers like Spicejet, GoAir and IndiGo also filed applications seeking to intervene in the matter, and sought the court to hear their contentions also.

The court said it would hear all of them on Friday.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the DGCA, on the last hearing on Tuesday told the court that DGCA issued a circular on May 31, asking air carriers to try to keep the middle seats on flights vacant and provide wraparound gowns to passengers who are allotted such seats.

Kanani in his plea claimed the Air India was violating the guidelines laid down in a circular dated March 23 by the Centre, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during air travel.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vistara Domestic Premium Economy vs. Economy – Is The Upgrade Worth It?

Economy on Vistara As one of only two  full-service carriers  in India, Vistara offers a high-quality economy product. On its A320, which used on most domestic routes, it offers 18-inch wide seats with a pitch of 29-30 inches. While this does sound standard, the well-padded seats and adjustable headrest make for a much more comfortable offering than its low-cost competitors. The seats also offer an acceptable 3″ recline. In terms of service, Vistara is one of the few airlines offering hot meals on domestic routes (minus short routes under an hour). All economy passengers, except those booked on Economy Lite fares, receive a meal along with hot or cold beverages. From personal experience, the meals are good and enough for domestic hops. For those traveling on Lite fares, only complimentary hot beverages are available. Vistara also has a small buy-on-board menu, which features packaged snacks and drinks, along with some hot instant meals. Originally, the airline served all passenger’s me
Read more

Why the Airbus A340 Has A Middle Landing Gear

Image
The  Airbus A340  was specially designed for long haul flying and had something not seen with other widebody aircraft flying today. It was a unique middle landing gear that allowed the plane to take off with heavier loads and carry more fuel for its four hungry engines. What is the middle landing gear? If you have ever looked carefully at a picture of an A340 (or if you are lucky, in real life), you might have noticed an extra landing gear on the belly in the middle of the plane. Here it is on a Virgin Atlantic  Airbus A340-600  to the rear of the aircraft. Looking at the bottom of an A340 you’ll see that there are already two other sets of landing gears under the wings, why would an aircraft need a third in the middle? Why some A340s have the middle landing gear Plain and simple, the extra landing gear allows the A340 aircraft to have a higher MTOW (maximum take-off weight). This means more passengers and cargo, plus more fuel to go a longer distance. Perfect for t
Read more

Preparing To Start Domestic Flight Operations Within A Week: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri

The domestic flight operations are likely to resume within a week, says Union Civil Aviation Minister  Hardeep Singh Puri . The commercial flight operations remain suspended since March 24 after the announcement of nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. In an interview with  Outlook ’s  Preetha Nair , the Union Minister also talks about the government’s massive plan to evacuate stranded Indians and the logistical challenges involved. He also says a decision on operating flights between green zones of the country will soon be taken. You have hinted that the commercial flight operations are set to begin after May 15 in a calibrated way. Can you elaborate? We are preparing to start domestic flight operations even before May 15. My effort will be to try and move in the direction of starting it very soon. I can’t put a date on it because when you are planning evacuation operations, you need the co-operation of the state governments. In order to open up domestic civil avia
Read more