Covid-19 crawls into Haryana Vidhan Sabha

6 employees of assembly, including an aide of speaker Gupta test positive, 3 days before monsoon session

VIDHAN SABHA SPEAKER GUPTA, WHO WAS REPORTEDLY UNWELL, UNDERWENT A COVID-19 TEST ON SUNDAY; THE REPORT IS EXPECTED TO COME TODAY

CHANDIGARH: Ahead of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha session beginning on August 26, at least six employees of the assembly, including a close aide of Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Sunday when 1,096 fresh cases were recorded across the state.

In yet another ominous report, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Gupta himself was reportedly unwell. He underwent a Covid-19 test on Sunday, the report of which is expected to come on Monday. It is learnt that more than 300 employees of the Vidhan Sabha were tested for the infection on August 22 in view of the monsoon session of the assembly.

The Vidhan Sabha premises will be out of bounds to all, including the lawmakers until they have a Covid-19 negative report that is not older than three days.

Among the six Vidhan Sabha staffers tested positive are a peon, a chowkidar, a canteen worker and a political aide of the Speaker.

Already about eight employees posted at the residence of chief minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar too have tested positive, while the CM himself is in home isolation.

COVID CLAIMS SIX LIVES

The Covid-19 claimed six lives in Haryana on Sunday, taking the toll to 603. By Sunday evening, the cumulative number of Covid-19 patients in Haryana had touched 54,386. The number of active rose to 8,961even as the total number of the patients who have recovered from the disease stood at 44,822.

At 942, Panipat district had the largest number of active cases, followed by Gurugram (861), Faridabad (709), and Karnal (667).

Panchkula district has 545 active cases as of Sunday, the bulletin stated.

So far, Haryana has tested 9, 64, 297 people for the infection.

At least 809 patients undergoing treatment were discharged on Sunday, while there were 232 critically ill patients (203 on oxygen support, 29 on ventilators).

The doubling rate of cases has risen to 33 days, the recovery rate has come down to 82.41% and the fatality rate of Haryana was 1.11% on Sunday.

According to the state health bulletin, two patients succumbed to the infection in Ambala, while one patient each lost the battle to the virus in Kaithal, Sirsa, Kurukshetra and Hisar.

As many as 1, 096 new cases were reported on Sunday with Panipat district recording the highest 134 cases, Gurugram (113), Faridabad (98), Sonepat (66), Rewari (45), Ambala (97), Rohtak (47), Karnal (51), Hisar (96), Palwal (13), Panchkula (40), Mahendergarh (27), Jhajjar (25), Bhiwani (38), Kurukshetra (75), Nuh (7), Sirsa (41, Yamunanagar (42), Kaithal (32), and Jind (9).