Goans went into a tizzy on Wednesday over the dreaded Coronavirus scare when a horrific tale of errors played out involving Health Minister Vishwajit Rane. The uneasy atmosphere plunged into an abrupt silence when the health minister tweeted that Goa detected its first Coronavirus-positive case. But only to realize a little later that he fell to a cheap prank played by a mischievous woman.
It’s a bizarre incident that reflects the state of panic we are in. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the Health Minister had just made public appeals not to fall for fake social-media alerts or posts and spread unnecessary panic. We fail to understand how Vishwajit could make a declaration that could have State-wide repercussions, that too, without even verifying data or cross-checking details? Let’s not forget that the Health Minister has a battery of renowned doctors and specialists at his disposal to guide him on every possible medical situation. The irony is that minutes later, national television channels were abuzz with more fake news, that Goa’s first Coronavirus positive case is Vishwajit himself.
The fright on the Health Minister’s face is showing. Goa is not even half-prepared to fight this battle against Coronavirus. The Dubai-based woman who made a transit halt at Dabolim en route to her home in Bengaluru on March 9, has not only tested positive but has given Goa the shivers. The bad news is that out of the 40-odd people that alighted from the same flight at Goa, around eight are still not traceable. The worst news is that one of them is a former minister vigorously campaigning for the Zilla Panchayat election in Salcete.
The fact of the matter is that authorities are still relying on self-disclosures and home-quarantine remains very patchy. The mandatory quarantining of air passengers should have begun long back. The additional thermal scanners are still on their way. The government has only flattered to deceive on alertness even as the threat mounts every passing day. Our borders continue to be currently the major threat areas, and the government has belatedly reacted only after Karnataka moved to tighten screening along the Goa border. The hesitancy on the part of the government is baffling, especially since it has already invoked the Epidemic Disease Act, which itself empowers sealing borders.
The security of the people of Goa is undoubtedly compromised. The very purpose of the partial shutdown is defeated because other gateways were open for the virus-infected. States like Kerala had water-tight systems in place already when initial signs of the virus surfaced in India. Goa has enough reasons to be cautions because like Kerala it boasts of being a tourist destination with millions of visitors.
Moreover, politicos are not practicing what they preach. The chief minister and health minister have been vocal in asking people not to hold gatherings but have continued with their Zilla meetings very aggressively. In fact, up North, Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgoankar even ensured that people who protested against his meeting were arrested. Zilla campaigns continue to run at full steam, and there is no word of rescheduling elections. It appears that the fight for power of politicos has overpowered the health concerns of Goans.
