The government woke up to the reality that the COVID-19 pandemic was getting out of hand after 26 persons lost their lives to the deadly virus on a single day. Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant tweeted that the ‘26 unfortunate deaths’ due to COVID-19 were unfortunate and that the ‘rise in cases is worrisome’ and then called for a high-level meeting to discuss the further course of action for the State. Compare this to the same time last year when the State Executive Committee met on a daily basis to discuss the COIVD-19 situation and plan the action. There were not even 26 cases in total at that time. Now there have been 26 deaths in a single day. Shouldn’t the State Executive Committee be meeting on a regular basis now, as it did a year ago?
It was after this that the State government announced a night curfew, postponed the Class X and Class XII exams and also released a list of what is allowed and what is not until the end of the month. Normal life will go on and a night curfew may not help bring down the number of COIVD-19 cases drastically, but the postponement of board exams as had been demanded by students was definitely necessary. An adamant government had, however, paid no heed to the persistent requests of the students. The protesting youth had even been detained by the authorities. Did the government really require to delay this decision on the exam rescheduling till the COVID-19 cases had risen to over 1500 a day?
Much as it did last year, the government is reacting to the situation by adapting its policies, rather than having foreseen the possibilities and being prepared to meet them. Medical facilities are being put in place and Covid care centres are being readied. A government that had followed the trajectory of the pandemic across the world would have been prepared to meet the second wave that had already proved deadly in Europe. That this has not happened is clear in the manner in which the State is now hurriedly attempting to portray that it is doing something to bring down the cases. This is a clear indication that there is neither planning nor foresight involved.
Strangely, while there will be a night curfew till the end of this month, Goa will not shut down at 10pm as action in the casinos and the nightlife indoors will continue. This is an incongruity that defies explanation. The Chief Minister has again ruled out a lockdown, and a lockdown of the kind that the country had last year may not be the answer to the rampaging COVID-19 cases but if there are restrictions being brought in, there has to be some logical reasoning behind it. Keeping casinos open 24 hours and allowing the starred hotels to continue with the programmes in house at night, while imposing a curfew raises questions of whether this is merely an attempt to portray that the government is on the job.
Goa has to be prepared for a long battle with COVID-19. Experience shows that it won’t be won by lockdowns and night curfews, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted that a lockdown is a last resort. Goa has to upgrade its healthcare facilities so that COVID-19 patients get the best possible care in the State health institutions. The number of deaths has to be reduced. There may be cases that patients are coming to hospitals late, but why is this happening? If the COVID-19 patient is in daily touch with the doctor on the phone, then this delay should not occur. If the phone consultation is proper, lives can still be saved.
