The relaxations announced by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant to the lockdown imposed in the State till March 25 will go a long way in reassuring the people that the government is concerned about their welfare and is not acting hastily. People across Goa had been prepared for a day’s curfew and it’s sudden extension by three days did cause some amount of consternation. This move will help bring down the level of panic that had arisen in the State. The government has listed out the essential services that will be available over the next few days, so people should plan their trips out of the house and not take the opportunity to rush to make purchases.
It is now the responsibility of the people not to crowd markets and not to purchase items of a quantity more than what they require. There are reasons for this. The point of a lockdown or a curfew is to avoid contact with potential carriers of COVID-19, so if during the hours when there is a relaxation people crowd the markets, this is defeated. It is extremely important to maintain social distancing, especially since the country is now at a very crucial stage, as the infection graph has taken an upward turn, but is still not too very alarming. The other reason for not hoarding is that this creates an artificial shortage and will lead to people in genuine need of a food item not managing to purchase it. In the current situation, it is important to also think of the others and their needs.
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As the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths rise across the country, there remains the fear that at any time Goa could discover its first positive case. The fact that the State has imposed movement restrictions even before a single positive case has been detected is a good sign, but that does not stop the possibility of the virus having found its way into Goa. The sealing of the borders and screening of all those entering, besides sending them into home quarantine, reduces the chances of a spread of the virus, but the State can’t take any chances. All possible measures required to stop the entrance of the virus in Goa have to be taken, with social distancing being the most important.
The biggest threat for Goa now is from all those who have entered the State during the last fortnight from areas that have already been infected by the novel Coronavirus. It is these persons who are the potential carriers of the virus, which makes it absolutely imperative that they – for their health welfare and for that of others – isolate themselves and allow to be monitored at the first sign of any symptoms. The case of the man who died in Kolkata of the virus is an indication of how the virus can be spread. He had travelled to a town in Uttar Pradesh and returned earlier this month by train. He had no recent foreign travel history.
Countries that did not take adequate precautions in the early stages of the infection are today unable to cope with the spread of the virus. These are highly-developed countries that are struggling to even find hospital beds for their patients and medical equipment to treat them with. The seriousness of the situation should not be underestimated and all precautions need to be taken. It is now up to the people to protect themselves from the virus, and they can do that by not venturing out of the house unless it is absolutely necessary. That is the best way they can protect themselves.
