Addressing the media, the Chief Minister flanked by the Health Minister and Chief Secretary admitted that there is a high positivity rate and went on to say that the people need to take precautions. Some of the points raised are that people are doing self tests at home and not uploading the results on the website, that those who are eligible for vaccination – the youth in the age group of 15 to 18 and senior citizens for the booster dose – are not responding and that after testing positive people are not collecting the Covid kits from the health centres.
The three issues raised in the press conference point to laxity on the part of the people and not the authorities, which is further underscored by the Chief Minister saying that people have to follow the Covid protocols imposed by the District Collectors. To the last he did add that if the protocols are followed then the high positivity rate can be brought down. But, and this is a valid question, does the government expect people to follow its suggestions voluntarily?
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There has to be shared responsibility here between the authorities and the people. Only one doing its part will not rein in the third wave that is now galloping freely. The people of course have to follow pandemic protocols, but it has been seen from past experiences that people will do so only when they are mandated by law or by an order to do so. Voluntarily they will do it to a certain extent. Expecting people not to move about freely because this has been suggested by the government is hoping for high amount of discipline from the people.
On the other hand, see how other States have reacted. Most have imposed night hour curfews to curb the spread of the virus. The reasoning is that it limits the movement of people for non-essential purposes and so reduces the transmission possibilities. This has not been scientifically validated, but in a tourism State like Goa could play a role in bringing down the positivity rate. We just have to go back to April of last year to compare the increase in cases with the insistence of the government not to impose curbs, until late in the month. We are seeing a repeat of this and truly, Goa has learnt no lesson from the second wave. Officially Goa is in the third wave since the end of December and should have been a lot more concerned about how the virus was progressing. It is good to know that extra Covid beds have been allocated at government hospitals but the focus should also be on reducing transmission of the virus. Efforts towards the latter have to be taken up with urgency, especially as Goa is going to the polls in less than four weeks.
The State’s pandemic preparedness has been found wanting since the first wave of March 2020 when the government was insistent on holding the Zilla Panchayat elections, postponed only when the janata curfew was called for on the date of polling and then postponed indefinitely. The third wave was not avoided, but is Goa managing it adroitly? The current situation doesn’t provide confidence to answer it in the affirmative. It may be too late to avoid the upward curve but it has to be flattened as quickly as possible. That is the only manner in which the pandemic can be brought under control. Is Goa doing enough?
