PANAJI
Despite the rising tide of new infections in Goa, the Health Minister on Thursday ruled out a night curfew, claiming that enforcing such a curfew for namesake would have no meaning on the ground.
Speaking to reporters after emerging from a video conference with a Central government team led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other chief ministers and state health ministers, he said that they were briefed on a comparative third wave scenario in relation to Europe.
"It's not like people are mixing up in a big way. If we simply put it for namesake and it is not followed then there is no meaning," the health minister told reporters when asked if the State government was contemplating a night curfew to arrest the rising number of Covid cases.
He also said that hotels in the state also had less occupancy, adding that the incoming traffic to Goa had reduced considerably.
"Hotel occupancy is less, fewer people are coming, flights are at only 50 per cent (occupancy). So we have to follow protocol, masks, and gatherings have already been restricted," he said.
He also said that given doctors and nurses testing positive for Covid, the State Health Ministry had evolved new guidelines to "look after the patients".
Speaking about the comparative scenario presented by the government of India's health officials during the video conference, the health minister said: "It was explained to us in comparison to European countries. How the cases will rise and then begin to slow down".
"Each chief minister said that the percentage of occupancy of beds is much lower than (what) it was during the last time. Complications are much less, utilisation of oxygen is much less as a result of which people are doing home isolation," the health minister said.
"We have kept the super-speciality hospital as Covid hospital, 122 in the old block is also kept (ready). If we have to step up, we will step up. They also asked us not to spread fear and that there should not be a knee-jerk reaction. Whatever is being done needs to be done responsibly," the health minister said.
