WEDNESDAY, MAY 08, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa continued to see a rise in COVID-19 cases as 40 more cases were reported on Thursday, taking the State’s tally to 109 active cases. While Mangor Hill, Vasco accounted for another 32 cases on Thursday, after Wednesday’s 40 cases, seven were of travelers and one a local.
The shocking news was of a health worker from Margao, who was working in Mangor, testing positive. This takes Mangor’s tally to 80 cases.
The other big news of the day was that the mother-in-law of a Calangute panch member, who came from Mumbai two days ago tested positive for COVID-19. Sources revealed that the elderly lady had skipped the COVID test at the border and gone directly to her daughter’s place. She stayed with the family and when she felt breathless the next day, she was tested and found positive for the virus.
Waste Management Minister and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said that 12 close family members have been tested. “Entire family has been put under quarantine,” he said. Sources also revealed that the entire Tito’s lane in Baga has been sealed for now.
Health Secretary Nila Mohanan, addressing the media, refused to give details of the Calangute case and only maintained that contact tracing is being undertaken. “I can only say elderly lady came from Mumbai and she has tested positive,” she said.
Asked whether the lady had skipped testing at the border, she replied that she ‘isn’t aware of that.”
When pointed out that travellers are not adhering to home quarantine norms, Mohanan said that starting Friday panchas and ward members will be given the responsibility to monitor those on home quarantine. “The ward members will be informed about the home quarantine of a person in their locality and they will have to monitor them,” she said.
On Mangor Hill she said, the Health Department plans to test around 2,000 persons and 1,000 tests have already been conducted.
Further, she said, the two-year old girl who tested positive after returning from Hyderabad has been sent to the COVID hospital along with her mother. “We could not send her alone so mother is accompanying her. The mother continues to be negative for COVID,” she said.
The Health Secretary said there was no need for a complete lockdown in Vasco as of now as the cases are restricted to Mangor Hill only.
Replying to query, Mohanan said that the State has made arrangement for another hospital or increase in beds in case the cases spike next few days. “We have 220 beds in the COVID hospital, besides we have also made our plans if there is need for more beds,” she said.
