SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Relying on election rolls data for numbers, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Monday claimed that Goa has covered 100 per cent of the eligible population with the first dose of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine, making it the first State in the country to achieve this.
Speaking to media persons, Sawant said that nearly 11,44,000 persons of those eligible have taken the first jab of the vaccine. “If we go as per the election data, the total eligible persons under the category are 11,50,000. If we take into account that the balance five per cent population must have taken their jab outside Goa, we have achieved 100 per cent coverage of first dose,” he explained.
Appealing to those due for a second dose to take the jab on completion of 84 days, the Chief Minister said that efforts need to come from the citizen as the government can only make appeals and create awareness.
Responding to a question on reopening of the tourism industry, Sawant said the government has not taken any decision so far and the current curfew stands extended by a week. Ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, the State government has extended the curfew till 7am on September 13.
Though, officially the tourism industry is shut, several tourism related activities are currently on. Weekends in Goa see a large number of domestic tourists, as the State has permitted fully vaccinated people to enter without a COVID-19 negative certificate. Casinos, pubs and river cruises, however, continue to remain shut.
