It comes as a big surprise that the State government moved the High Court seeking waiver of a mandatory Covid-negative certificate at entry points forced upon by the very court less than two weeks back on account of the perilous situation faced by citizens. It is beyond simple reasoning that the government is trying to lower the State’s guard when the virus is still on a rampage, and when the talk is about a looming third wave some time later. On Tuesday, Goa reported 45 deaths taking the toll to 2,197 with active cases standing at 23,946. We are in a state of mourning with patients dying, gasping and struggling to get treatment and to even get space on the floors of hospitals.
The government has opposed the restrictions citing logistical issues arguing that the protocol could affect supplies to the State and hit the economy as well. It baffles the mind that restriction-free movement inside Goa is sought when there is already untold misery piled on the people of Goa. Has the Advocate General not taken the strictures passed by the court on May 6 seriously? If we may recall, the court had slammed the unrestricted entry at borders, and had held that it is neither fair on the populace already suffering from an overstretched medical infrastructure, nor on the unsuspecting tourists. The court had stated that given the precarious situation, the government has to prioritize lives over economy while not finding any justification in not insisting on a negative certificate when the positivity rate is high.
By pleading such concessions, a mockery is being made of the curfew which we were made to be believe would be more stringent than the lockdown. How does the government explain the easing of norms during curfew and even when there are no clear indications of the situation easing? The State got a minor relief on Wednesday when the health bulletin showed fatality count dropping to 31 and the positivity percentage too going down marginally to 31 per cent. However, these are no indicators that Goa is moving towards safety. The State has a long way to go, and going by the snail's pace of vaccination we are nowhere close to the safe zone.
Moreover, the situation across the borders continues to be grim with Maharashtra and Karnataka each reporting over 34,000 new cases. The need of the hour for Goa is to undertaken massive containment by plugging loose ends. We need to take life-saving initiatives taken in other States like 'ICU on Wheels' and 'Oxgyen on Wheels'. We need to show concern for the overstretched and fatigued healthcare sector. There is a lot to be done.
The concern over Covid striking down lives far outweighs a falling economy and the situation demands that the State government remains unflinching in the objective of pulling in all resources to fight the virus. It is disheartening that the judiciary, time and again, has to step out and give directions on governance.
