PANAJI
The oldest industry association in the State, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has recommended a total and strict lockdown in Goa, with considerations for few exemptions as mentioned in the Annexure I.
In a letter to the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the GCCI president Manoj Caculo has requested to review the situation and consider his suggestion of a total lockdown in the State for at least 15 days. “Also, it should be made mandatory to have a negative RTPCR certificate to enter the State of Goa,” suggested Caculo.
The State of Goa is currently facing the biggest health emergency in its history, points out GCCI president. He further adds, “The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic appears to be running out of control and we have seen the rate of positivity as well as fatalities breaking new records every day for the last 10 days. The rapid spread of the coronavirus has put the entire health infrastructure in the State under tremendous pressure. With the shortage of hospital spaces and inability to cope with the growing number of cases, shortage of medical equipment and essentials like oxygen, vaccination doses, the medical professional and health care workers are over-stressed. It is feared that this over-stress will begin to take its toll on the healthcare infrastructure and may break it down if no severe corrective measures are adopted in time.”
The GCCI mentions that it is more than a year now that we first encountered this pandemic and from the worldwide experience over the past few months, we have learnt that the best way to control the pandemic is total lockdown to ensure that the virus transmission chain is broken. “From our own experience last year, we know that it actually helped us in controlling the virus from spreading,” says Caculo.
“Unfortunately, this time, we have so far, been reluctant to use the tried and tested method and seem to be concentrating more on the economic revival rather than survival of the citizens,” says Caculo, and while appreciating the various measures the State administration is taking to overcome the crises, the GCCI president points out that measures like partial lockdowns are not showing the desired results.
There is a growing concern in the minds of the citizens and the local authorities that is reflected in several of the village panchayats and municipalities declaring their own lockdowns which are in contrast to the partial lockdowns imposed by the district administration, points out Caculo.
While accepting that the village panchayats and municipalities are more aware of the local conditions and their efforts reflect their sense of urgency, Caculo points out that having two conflicting sets of lockdowns are not an ideal solution, not only for the citizenry but also for the trade and industry. “As the healthcare infrastructure in the State is already on the brink of being overwhelmed and there is urgent need to take the extreme measure of total lockdown for at least 15 days with a view to arrest the increasing number of positive cases and fatalities, and give the much required breather to revive the healthcare systems and the health to rejuvenate and ramp up the capacities and capabilities,” appeals GCCI president.
