PANAJI
The steep rise in omicron cases in its neighbouring states coupled with lax screening protocols along the border entries and an endless line-up of year-end jamborees poses a major concern for the tourist state of Goa as New Year’s Eve draws closer.
As on Sunday, Goa’s active Covid case count stood at 449 and the daily positivity rate has steadily risen to 2.3 per cent.
Over the last five days alone, despite a measly average sample size of 2,000, a total of 249 Covid cases have been detected in the state, a quarter of the total number of Covid cases detected since December 1. Goa’s Health Department has recorded 1,055 new Covid cases in the last 26 days alone, an average of 50 cases a day.
The Directorate of Health Services has recorded 135 Covid deaths so far in December this year. Of these, 123 have been termed as “reported late”.
Even with the daily figures showing an upward trajectory, the government remains in election campaign mode and has yet to take any targeted steps towards arresting the daily Covid count let alone focus specifically on monitoring the entry of the omicron variant into Goa.
Though the Health Department has been testing all travellers from high-risk countries at the Goa International Airport and randomly picking two per cent of the passengers from flights that arrive from non-high-risk countries, the real threat possibly lies elsewhere.
The neighbouring state of Karnataka has officially recorded 38 cases of omicron while Maharashtra has recently become the first state to cross 100 cases of omicron, the highest in the country. The countrywide tally of omicron cases has crossed 400.
The screening protocol at Goa’s borders is non-existent with no screening protocols in place. The checking of Covid negative certificate or vaccination records has also not been stepped up at border check posts and railway stations.
As of now, the Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim is the only medical institution for Covid admissions along with isolation centres for omicron suspected cases at Primary Health Centre Cansaulim and T B Hospital, Margao.
The state’s medical infrastructure can be geared up for the inevitable surge in Covid cases likely over the coming days only after the state-level expert committee deliberates on the subject. A meeting of this committee has been scheduled in the last week of December, by when revellers and tourists will have flocked to Goa with entry passes to attend New Year’s eve parties along the coastline.
With only five days left for the year to conclude, only time will tell if the poll-bound ruling party will implement the lessons learnt during the horrific second Covid wave experienced not too long ago.
