02 Jul 2020  |   05:03am IST

Can we stop mass gatherings & partying in Goa? We are not in normal times

Doctors in Goa have expressed their frustration at the number of new cases being reported due to the reluctance of the average citizen to follow basic rules like social distancing. The number of house parties and small wedding celebrations has increased causing new cases to be detected every day. They have suggested that people go easy on this for the next two or three weeks to bring a break in the number of new cases being reported. Café spoke to various people to gauge their reactions.

 I have a simple answer to this. If there is a problem with a bridge, will you seek advice from an engineer or a doctor. An engineer right. In the same way the doctor has advised caution, so it makes sense to do so. The problem is of people sitting at the coffee shop and discussing these matters and then deciding it is going to be their policy. They pay no heed to sound medical advice and seek to chart their own course and cause problems around them.  The doctors would like this two to three-week break to ensure the number of cases don’t increase to such an extent that the system will not be able to handle it. I urge the general public to listen to the doctors please- Darryl Pereira Reira Group.

 

There has been a total failure of the administration to do enough testing, ramp up healthcare facilities etc etc in the 1st month of the lockdown. Not to mention that there has been no real comprehensive or effective on-ground containment, or providing economy relief, I think most people have accepted that Corona is here to stay and will affect most of us. So after 3 months of being socially affected, I guess a lot of people are going to now catch up with friends and family. Just need to be cautious and maintain hygiene and social distancing, and hope that the government will finally start doing its job- Nupura Hautamaki Social activist

 

I feel this is happening because people are not following regulations. The people don’t want to do anything. They want the government to all the work. They want the government to impose a lockdown, then they will complain about it. Now in this climate they are going around for weddings. What is wrong with people? Fifty people in a hall without masks is not a smart idea. We have to wait two or three months more; can’t we manage that at least. You can have your weddings then. I can’t believe Goans can be so lax. People are taking everything so lightly- Shekhar Salkar  Manipal hospital

 

 It is a no brainer. public gatherings have to be avoided. Youngsters may fall ill and recover but they have to go home after the party. Their parents or relatives are older and may not be as lucky. Just postpone all parties and occasions that require meeting in public

- Oscar Rebello, Senior Doctor 

 

I agree with the doctors wholeheartedly, look at what happened at the wedding in Patna. The groom is dead and another hundred people sick. What is happening in Goa is something similar. People are taking advantage of the fact that not many people died in the state and they feel the situation is under control. These festivities have to stop. I heard in Cancona, the family was given permission to invite 20 people for the wedding and 40 turned up. It is ridiculous. In Vasco, I heard the cases were due to the functions they had attended. Please listen to the experts and follow the regulations

- Savio Messias  Ex TTAG President

 

 This is a time for vigilance and self-regulation. The increased number of cases has taken Goa by surprise but if closely looked into, it appears that community transmission is in force here.

This now seems to have crisscrossed across the state. The main thing now is to understand the virus and to prevent its spread. Keep a watch for high fever and dry cough and report any symptoms at an early stage. Monsoons related illnesses are going to make their presence felt in the coming weeks and therefore it will be important not to mix up common cold and flu with the Corona 19 symptoms.

We are in this for a long haul and all of us have to join hands to fight the Viral Pandemic, by first taking care of our own selves and   of those that are vulnerable amongst us- Dr. Meenacshi Martins  psychiatrist and actor

 

I absolutely support the demand by the doctors. Just look around you. A wedding in Bihar with the groom dead and hundreds sick. People have to think about their health. Forget about holding parties in public places. Perhaps have something small in the house and when the time is right in a couple of months have a bash. We have to learn to draw the line. By behaving like this we are placing our lives, our families lives and those on the frontline under danger- Sanjay Pagi  GM  Mercure Goa Devaaya Retreat