Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Even two days after the Expert Committee recommended imposing restrictions, including night curfew and teh Health Department publicly announcing the Third Wave of COVID19, the State government seems to be in “Sleeping” or “Flight” mode.
Even 48 hours after the recommendations of the Expert Committee, the government and Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has not budged an inch.
In the last three days, the State has seen around 1500 positive cases, and the positivity rate is hovering around an average of 20 per cent.
Speaking to reporters today, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said that the expert committee has given all their suggestions to the state government pertaining to the spike in COVID-19 cases, and the restrictions will be coming out in the next two days.
“The state government is fully planned and ready for handling the COVID crises. We are at exactly the same moment as the last wave wherein we have mandatorily worn the mask. The expert committee has given all their suggestions to the state government pertaining to the spike in COVID-19 cases, and the restrictions will be coming out in the next two days,” said Rane.
He further said that the positivity rate in the State is high and people should main social distancing and follow all covid related protocols.
“If we have a look, the cases in the country are going exactly the way of European countries. We have already increased the testing in the State with the rise in cases,” said Rane.
Rane said that the state government has deliberated on various ways to ensure we don’t make any knee-jerk decisions and ensure that citizens and tourists coming to Goa are safe.
“Given the spike in other states, the appropriate measure will be taken in sync the overall guidelines of Government of India,” he added.
The health minister said that the state government is already in the process of procuring a genome sequencing machine. USAID and Jhpeigo have already given us assurances in this regard and have issued directions to Dean GMC to pursue a proposal for another machine that we’d already submitted to the government for clearance.
“This will enable us to test samples in the State and avail results at the earliest. The government of Goa is working unabated to ensure we get a genome sequencing machine at the earliest,” he added.
He further said that the state government has signed an agreement with them for two years on overall cooperation in the health sector.
The US agency will also advised the government on aspects like oxygen management, critical care for paediatric and adult patients, among other things.
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COVID-19 SPIKE: Class for
Std VII & XII shut till January 26
Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The Goa government has decided to shut classes for students of std VII & XII until January 26 in light of the rising Covid-19 cases of the Omicron variant.
“As covid-19 cases are rising in the State, it is decided by the competent authority that the educational institutions from std. VII and std. XII will remain closed with immediate effect up to 26/01/2022,” said Education Department in a circular.
The further circular states that the students from the age group of 15 to 18 years of std. IX to XII may be called. In the school for vaccination purposes only by following Covid-19 appropriate behavior.
“Lectures/classes to be conducted on online mode only. Accordingly, Heads of all the educational institutions may take necessary action at their end,” it says.
Dr Shekhar Salkar, who was a part of the task force meet also said that while offline classes will not be conducted in schools and colleges, students who are eligible for vaccination will be inoculated in school premises over the next few days, after which they are not required to visit their respective schools until January 26.
He also said that the task force will meet again to review the situation a couple of days before January 26 to decide the future course of action.
Salkar also said that the infection rate in the coastal State had crossed an average of 5 per cent, which was the reason why the task force had decided to shut down schools and impose a night curfew.