A 70-year-old Vasco resident has tested positive for COVID-19, marking the return of a dreaded headline many hoped was permanently behind us. This single case may appear isolated, but it serves as a sobering reminder of a crisis that left deep scars across Goa and the nation.
Between 2020 and 2022, Goa witnessed harrowing scenes—over 4,000 deaths, families gasping for oxygen, shortages of ventilators, mismanagement, and public systems buckling under the weight of a pandemic that changed life as we knew it.
Entire communities lived in fear and isolation. Livelihoods were lost, small businesses shuttered, children’s education disrupted, and frontline workers stretched beyond human limits.
The emotional, economic, and psychological toll of the pandemic is still fresh in the minds of Goans. For many, the trauma is personal—families who lost loved ones, patients who couldn’t access hospital beds, or those who stood in long queues outside oxygen plants, praying for a miracle.
The images of ambulances lined up outside hospitals, of mass cremations, and of citizens pleading for basic healthcare, remain etched in the public memory.
Now, as a new case emerges, we are reminded that the virus hasn’t vanished—it has only receded, temporarily subdued by widespread vaccination and natural immunity. But it lurks in the shadows, and complacency could be our greatest mistake.
The fact that Goa has once again entered the COVID-19 map must trigger immediate action—not panic, but preparedness. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane along with authorities must waste no time in tracing contacts, isolating cases, ramping up testing, and issuing updated advisories.
At the same time, the state government led by CM Dr Pramod Sawant must review and refresh contingency plans: Are oxygen supply chains ready? Are isolation wards maintained and equipped? Are medical professionals briefed on the latest variants?
The last few years revealed painful truths about public health infrastructure in Goa—cracks that must not be allowed to widen again. The ventilator scam, the oxygen shortage crisis, and allegations of procurement irregularities are not distant memories. Accountability, transparency, and efficiency must replace the bureaucratic lethargy and misgovernance that plagued the earlier response.
It also becomes imperative for the general public to exercise caution without giving in to fear. Vaccination status should be reviewed, especially for the elderly and those with co-morbidities. Mask-wearing in crowded spaces and maintaining basic hygiene must once again become second nature. The rise of a single case should not trigger hysteria, but it should renew our collective vigilance.
Moreover, there needs to be a re-evaluation of how Goa communicates health information. Misinformation during the pandemic fueled chaos and distrust.
The government must use its communication channels to inform, not alarm; to guide, not confuse. Community leaders, local bodies, and citizen groups must be brought in to help spread verified information and to support the vulnerable.
We cannot afford another cycle of lockdowns, school closures, and economic disruptions.
The cost was too high the last time. But we also cannot ignore early signs, dismiss warnings, or assume we are immune to another wave.
The return of COVID-19 in Goa—even in the form of a single case—is not just a health concern; it is a test of memory. Have we learned anything from 2021? Have the lessons of that tragic year translated into systemic change, or have they been buried under the weight of normalcy?
This is a moment for course correction, not complacency.
For preparedness, not procrastination. For governance rooted in public welfare, not public relations.
Goa, like the rest of India, must tread carefully but confidently. The pandemic may no longer dominate headlines, but its threat still looms. We owe it to those we lost, those who survived, and those who risked everything to keep us safe—to not make the same mistakes again.
It took nearly three years to return to normal. Let’s not squander that hard-earned normalcy now.
