6 SC judges down with H1N1 virus; CJI holds emergency meeting

Six Supreme Court judges are down with H1N1 (also known as swine flu) virus, Justice DY Chandrachud said on Tuesday. Justice DY Chandrachud added that he had requested Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde to issue necessary directions to tackle the emergency that had arisen in the apex court. In Court Room Number 2 of the Supreme Court today, Justice Sanjiv Khanna was also seen wearing a mask during a hearing, reported ANI.

As per reports, the CJI held a meeting with Supreme Court Bar Association chief Dushyant Dave over H1N1 spread. Dave also proposed to release Rs 10 lakh to take the required actions to contain the virus. The CJI said a notification would soon be issued to arrange vaccination in one or two days. As per Dave, H1N1 vaccination will cost around Rs 1,200.

Besides, a total of 37 people have also been tested positive for the virus in Meerut. The number of H1N1 cases have risen since January, say health officials.

Friday last week, the Indian arm of German software group SAP also shut down all offices in India for sanitisation after two of its Bengaluru office employees tested positive for the H1N1 virus. SAP India offices in Bengaluru - considered the tech hub of India - Gurugram and Mumbai have been temporarily closed and all employees have been asked to work from home till further notice, SAP said in an emailed statement.

H1N1 cases in India have been reported close on the heels of new coronavirus spread across the world, primarily China. Seventy-one new coronavirus deaths were reported from China on Monday, taking the total number of casualties to 2,663. As many as six people have been tested positive for the deadly virus in India too.