The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to formulate within two weeks a national policy on admissions to hospitals in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19 and said no patient shall be denied hospitalisation or essential drugs in any state for lack of local residential proof. A three-member apex court bench, comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice Ravindra Bhat also directed the Centre and state governments to notify that any clampdown on information on social media or harassment caused to individuals seeking help on any platform will attract coercive action.

"The Central government and state governments shall notify all chief secretaries, directors general of police, commissioners of police that any clampdown on information on social media or harassment caused to individuals seeking/delivering help on any platform will attract a coercive exercise of jurisdiction by this court. The registrar (judicial) is also directed to place a copy of this order before all district magistrates in the country," it said in the order uploaded on the SC website late on Sunday night.