There was an official announcement made by the Directorate of Health Services about this and the very next day, fresh cases of the virus shot up to 1002. There is no doubt that the State is in the midst of yet another battle with the virus. The heartening aspect of this wave is that the cases, though many, are not severe and a majority of the patients do not require hospitalisation or very specialised treatment. They are being treated at home where they also undergo isolation. Not all cases are not confirmed to be of the omicron variant, but that has to be assumed at the present, as it is the predominant variant elsewhere.
Goa could perhaps not have prevented the third wave as the virus is now back in almost all countries, but it could definitely have played a role in seeing that the spread of the virus would be less severe. Where Goa most certainly went wrong is in permitting the New Year parties at a time when the virus was showing the inclination to spread quickly and when other States in the country were clamping down on public gatherings. Tourists poured into Goa to ring in the New Year as this was the one State that had not imposed any restrictions. Even now, as cases continue to rise, gallop actually, the government is vacillating on restricting non-essential public interaction. The response to the third wave has been very weak from the government.
Yet, it would be erroneous to point at only the New Year parties across the State as the cause of the third Covid-19 wave in Goa. There has been and continues to be partying of the different kind that is happening in Goa currently, where political meetings and campaigning is being carried on across the State, as political parties gear up to face the electorate next month. Groups of people are meeting together and going around neighbourhoods. Public meetings and demonstrations are being held to raise issues. Though the election schedule is yet to start, individuals have already begun knocking on the doors of people’s houses to introduce themselves to the voters as potential candidates. With political parties yet to announce their choices, except for eight of the Congress and some of the Revolutionary Goans, those on the campaign trail are not confirmed candidates.
The partying may stop, the tourists will go back and fewer may come as the industry had already seen bookings drop, but the political campaigning will see a spurt once the Election Commission of India announces the dates. It is here that maximum risk of the spread of the virus exists. Neither can the elections be stopped, nor can the campaign be curtailed. The parties have to be given the opportunity to reach out to the voters. Here it is the parties that will have to ensure that their workers take adequate precautions to stay safe and keep the people safe.
To reiterate what has been stressed in this column in the past, Goa cannot endure another Covid-19 wave of the type it had in April and May last year. There is hope it won’t be that bad in hospitalisations and deaths as the severity of the current variant is low. Had it been higher, Goa may well have had its hospitals and health centres already filled to capacity. The current wave being milder should not lead to the people taking things lightly. Now, bringing down the numbers can only be done by the people following the standard operating procedures. As has been repeatedly stressed since March 2020, masking and physical distancing are the two ways to keep the virus away.
