In what could eventually trigger a new wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the Farmers’ protests on the borders of Delhi shows no sign of a breakthrough. The ‘farmer element’ in these protests is slowly fading away while the separatist and anti-national elements are showing its visibility. India Today has reported that there are hundreds of sick people in the crowd and they are refusing to the tested. The exact number of farmers who are sick and are symptomatic is not known but unofficial sources put the number at around 300.
“We have set up two Covid-19 counters at Singhu Border and are regularly screening the protesters. Ten teams of doctors and paramedical staff have been deployed. An average of 70 to 90 people are visiting us every day who have been diagnosed with fever, muscular pain, or increased blood pressure,” said Deputy Commissioner Sonipat, Shyam Lal Punia. Punia did not rule out the possibility of asymptomatic and symptomatic people among the protesters.
There is also suspicion of a massive cover-up regarding the infected protestors since dozens of counters have been set up by some volunteers at Singhu and Tikkri borders where medicines are being distributed without prescription to protesting farmers. “We are regularly monitoring the situation. The patients are not ready for the Covid-19 tests. We distributed 50,000 masks but they are neither following the social distancing nor wearing the masks. The senior citizens say Covid-19 is nothing,” added Punia.
According to India Today, while more than 20 people who were seriously ill were referred to the hospitals, five protesters in Bahadurgarh and one in the Singhu Border died. The cause of death is not known.
