PANJIM: Just as Goa has been recording a decline in fresh COVID-19 cases, wedding functions not following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) are leading to a rise in infections.
Goa Medical College Dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar, on Thursday admitted that several wedding events are flouting the SOP resulting in an increase in daily cases.
“We are still not out of COVID-19. I have been told that marriages are creating new cases of COVID-19. I want to tell the people of Goa that have marriages and clusters to wear face masks and maintain social distancing,” the Dean said while addressing the media at his office in the GMC on Thursday.
He added that a recently held wedding, details of which were not shared by him, has led to around 100 COVID-19 cases in a day.
Bandekar also cited his personal experience at a wedding wherein a large number of persons attending did not adhere to the SOP. The Dean said that people are “slowly forgetting social distancing and wearing of masks” and urged that the precautionary measures should be followed to avoid a second wave of COVID-19 in the State.
“If the COVID-19 cases spike, hospitals will be flooded (with COVID-19 patients). It will be the same situation we faced in the last few months. We can avoid a second wave. Avoid crowding as far as possible,” he added.
There have been a number of weddings in Goa in the past fortnight. Several marriage plans, which were postponed due to the pandemic outbreak, are also being held during the current period as the government has relaxed restrictions – subject to conditions – to host large gatherings.
