'COVID was sent by God’s supercomputer, it decides who will be infected': Assam minister

Amidst the threat of a possible third wave of COVID-19, Assam Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary's take on the pandemic is rather shocking if not absurd. While the world is trying to figure out whether the deadly virus spread through animals or if it was leaked from a lab, Patowary believes that the disease was created in God’s 'super-computer and it was already decided who would be affected by it.

He made the comments at an event to distribute financial assistance to beneficiaries under a state government scheme for widows of COVID-19 victims in the Kamrup district. Patowary was talking about a nearly 90-year-old woman who he saw on a Guwahati footpath on Tuesday midnight without wearing a mask or taking any safety measures against the virus. The BJP MLA claimed that some people like that woman don’t get infected.

He also blamed the World Health Organization for failing to find a cure for a “small virus” like COVID-19 despite spending billions of dollars on research. He later downplayed the statement, saying he did not want to raise a controversial issue. “What I wanted to say was that till date there is no medicine to cure Coronavirus,” said Patowary.

COVID tally in Assam

The minister’s remarks at a time when Assam is witnessing hundreds of new COVID-19 cases daily. On Thursday, Assam’s COVID-19 tally increased to 5,86,940 as 562 more people tested positive for the disease in the state. Assam also reported 11 more deaths due to the disease.

Currently, the state has a total of 6,434 active cases and they are being treated at different hospitals and Covid Care Centres (CCCs) while some are under home isolation. Assam’s overall positivity rate stands at 2.75% while a total of 2,13,08,086 samples have been tested so far.

(With inputs from agency)