Wearing PPE kit, Himanta Biswa Sarma visits COVID-19 infected Tarun Gogoi in hospital

Guwahati: Assam Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, cutting across party lines, yesterday visited the COVID-19 afflicted former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who has been admitted to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) after testing positive for the dreaded virus.

As per Sarma's own admission, he went inside the unit where the 85-year-old Congress veteran is recuperating to inquire about his health wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). The health minister also took stock of the health of the other political representatives who are fighting against the dreaded virus that has claimed over 8 lakh lives so far.

"To enquire about health of former CM Sri Tarun Gogoi I visited GMCH, and using PPE kit personally went inside the unit where he is recuperating. Also met other Hon MLAs, who have been found #COVID19 +. Wished them well, and speedy recovery (sic)," Sarma wrote in a late-night tweet on Sunday, August 31.

Although the due has traded barbs over politics in recent times, Himanta Biswa Sarma has been taking an active role in the veteran Congressman's COVID-19 treatment. Furthermore, a committee has been constituted to ensure the octogenarian leader's recovery.

Assam MLAs test COVID-19 positive ahead of Assembly:

Four more legislators from Assam have tested positive for COVID-19 before the autumn session of the Assam assembly, taking the cumulative number of MLAs in Assam infected with the virus to 24. Naren Sonowal of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Rituparna Baruahof Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Anwar Hussain Laskar of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), and Najrul Hoque (AIUDF) tested positive at a camp just before the Assembly.

India's COVID-19 Surge:

India registered 78,761 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the biggest single-day spike in the world since the pandemic began, just as the government began easing restrictions to help the battered economy.

The surge raised India's tally to over 3.5 million and came as the government announced the reopening of the subway in New Delhi, the capital. It also will move ahead with limited sports and religious events next month.

With a daily surge of around 75,000 cases each day, India is now registering the biggest surges among all the countries in the world.

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