AERIAL VIEW
The Covid-19 situation in Goa has been rapidly deteriorating with an increase in fresh cases and deaths on a daily basis.
While the situation isn’t as bad as it was in 2020-21, yet it calls for precautions. People need to take care.
Those have pre-medical conditions like diabetes, lungs and kidney diseases need to start taking precautions even though Goa has 19 active cases of COVID-19.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said all patients have mild symptoms of the infectious disease and they are under home isolation.
He said the health department is geared up to tackle any fresh outbreak of coronavirus in the tourist state amid concern over detection of cases of a new COVID-19 sub-variant in parts of the country.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
In 2020, when the the COVID19 second wave hit India, Goa was the worst hiot and as per data released by the Goa Health Department shows that almost 75 per cent of the state’s rural areas were been most affected by the novel coronavirus.
Similar to the national scenario, the economy came to a standstill with lockdowns everywhere so much so that people are still finding it difficult to come to terms even two years after the pandemic was considered to be over.
Now come December 2023, the COVID19’s deadly variant JN.1 has hit India and guesswhat Goa is again leading the charts.
Of course, Goa being the premier tourist destination in globally, the transmission of virus is bound to happen.
Also, December being the peak season the Goan tourism stakeholders as well as the tourists would not want any kind of restrictions during their funtime. Atleast not during the Christmas weekend wherein lakhs of tourists descend in Goa to give farewell to the year.
However, the Covid-19 situation in Goa has been rapidly deteriorating with an increase in fresh cases and deaths on a daily basis.
While the situation isn’t as bad as it was in 2020-21, yet it calls for precautions. People need to take care.
Those have pre-medical conditions like diabetes, lungs and kidney diseases need to start taking precautions even though Goa has 19 active cases of COVID-19.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said all patients have mild symptoms of the infectious disease and they are under home isolation.
He said the health department is geared up to tackle any fresh outbreak of coronavirus in the tourist state amid concern over detection of cases of a new COVID-19 sub-variant in parts of the country.
Talking to reporters after attending a virtual meeting presided over by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Rane said Goa currently has 19 coronavirus patients and all of them have mild symptoms and none is in serious condition.
The State administration also knows that even though the number of cases in Goa is increasing they cannot press the panic button yet as the Goan economy, heavily dependent on tourism would take a big hit.
Hence the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane are taking a cautious approach.
But while the government is concered about the economy, it still needs to begin preparations for the worst as with lakhs of tourists desceding in Goa for New Year weekend the number of infections could just take a big leap.
Also, the State administration needs to keep in mind that Goa was the worst hit last time due to the same lethargic approach and need to avoid any such situation during the ongoing wave.
Though precautionary measures cannot become a spirit dampner, minor checkings at airport like temperature checking etc can be done.
Also, the government needs to start the isolation centres and beef up the testing centres across Goa so that the situation does not go out of control this time around.