THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2024
This puts Goa second, behind Maharashtra, in the escalation of numbers of coronavirus cases. The data comes from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which also states that the number of coronavirus cases in India saw a surge of 105.5 per cent after train services were resumed, and people went back to their home towns. For Goa this increase was harsh, as it was on zero active cases for over three weeks, before the sudden and quick acceleration in numbers.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the State shot up as the trains rushed into the State and passengers disembarked from them. In one day Goa went from zero cases to seven. The passengers were coming from different parts of the country and as the numbers rose the government drew criticism for allowing the trains to stop at stations in Goa. This had been foreseen and the government’s decision to open the borders had drawn criticism even before the barriers at the borders had been lifted. There is now an admission from the government, made by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane that Goa could not have remained insulated from the spread of the virus in the country. That is an accepted fact, but can Goa return to a zero figure anytime soon?
The Health Minister assures that Goa will bounce back to its earlier position of reporting zero cases as it has the best health infrastructure and the team is adopting the best practices in treating patients. This may lead to quicker recoveries – nine recovered on Tuesday and another nine on Wednesday – but as long as travellers arrive in the State, it will be difficult to keep the active cases figure at zero. Goa has seen this through experience in the recend days. Also, merely coming to the State with a COVID-19 negative certificate does not assure that the person will remain free of the virus. The condition can change and add to the number of COVID-19 positive patients.
What Goa needs is a more stringent standard operating procedure to deal with the incoming travellers. The Chief Minister had announced that there will be a separate SOP for people arriving from Maharashtra as 90 per cent of those who have tested positive this month have come from the neighbouring State. He later said that with the new protocols, this was not necessary. It is obvious that with Maharshtra being a neighbouring State there will be more traffic between Goa and that State, especially since a large number of Goans visit Mumbai. This will naturally lead to more people entering Goa from Maharashtra, many of them who were held up in that State due to the lockdown.
Goa must have a uniform SOP that will test and quarantine all equally. If there is a decrease in the number of cases coming from a particular State, there will be an increase of cases from other States. Just about a week ago, the government had said that it would stop the Rajdhani Express from halting in Goa as there were more cases among passengers that alighted from that train than from other trains. The Rajdhani continues to stop at Margao, and the number of COVID-19 positive cases continues to increase, but it is not just passengers from the Rajdhani. The State’s only airport at Dabolim is now open for domestic flights.
The threat is from all sides. The numbers and the percentage of cases wil increase. Getting back to a zero figure of active cases will take a long time. Goa cannot send back those coming to the State, it has to ensure there is no spread within the State.
