COVID-19 protocols go for a toss in BTC poll campaign

* Second wave likely in December

POLL CAMPAIGN

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The ongoing campaigning for the next month's BTC (Bodoland Territorial Council) elections has made a complete mockery of the COVID-19 safety protocols what with the political parties leaving no stone unturned to bring thousands to lakhs of people to their rallies.

The election rallies recently conducted by the BJP, BPF and UPPL in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri districts had recorded turnout of more than 50,000 people. In rallies of such huge crowds, it is simply an impossible task to maintain social distance, wearing of masks and sanitization. Even though the Deputy Commissioners of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri districts have requested the political parties to adhere to the COVID-safety protocols during the election campaigning, not a single political party has given any importance to the request.

"Why should we follow COVID-safety protocols? State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is himself violating all such protocols. If the Health Minister is campaigning with huge crowds, we should not worry about any COVID infection," said a leader of the BPF.

A few days back, Himanta Biswa Sarma while responding to a query on the issue, told reporters that adherence to COVID-safety protocols cannot be expected in the elections. "I personally opposed holding of the BTC elections till the pandemic is either fully controlled or over. Since the other political parties wanted the BTC elections, we had no other option," said Sarma.

While the political leaders are oblivious of the threat of the COVID-19 infections in their race to grab power in the BTC, doctors at the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College & Hospital in Barpeta are extremely worried about a possible second wave of the virus infection in lower Assam soon after the BTC elections is over.

"A wave comes suddenly. There are reasons including massive crowds in the BTC election campaigns to fear a spike in the COVID-positive cases in December," apprehended a senior doctor at GMCH.

The doctor also said that a sero-survey conducted in Kamrup Metropolitan, Nalbari and Karbi Anglong districts has failed to provide any credible insight to the Health department on the prevalence of the infection and the possibility of the development of herd immunity as the sample size was very small.

The State's COVID-19 tally stood at 2,12,320, but the active cases dropped to 3,272. The toll is 980. The current positivity rate is 0.58 per cent.

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