the goan I network
VASCO
A misleading report in a leading newspaper claiming that plane carrying Indians suffering from COVID-19 would arrive from Iran on Thursday afternoon and further quarantined in special rooms set up at Mormugao Harbour cause considerable panic and anxiety in the port town on Thursday.
The panic was such that several employees of the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) were afraid to go to work, while some people living close to the Harbour area even contemplated shifting to a different area on a temporary basis.
The MPT unions got together and even confronted the MPT officials over the shifting of passengers from Iran to a premises in Harbour.
Some customs clearing agents who are based right below the Old Coast Guard office said their staff had not arrived to work amid fear that the passengers from Iran who were to be shifted to the quarantine centre could spread the deadly infection to them.
As the media report created mass panic, hundreds of residents began gathering at various places in Sada and many approached the office of the local MLA and Urban Development Minister Milind Naik to oppose the move of shifting the passengers to the Harbour area.
Responding to their strong concerns, Naik met the Mormugao Dy Collector and later also called up the South Goa collector regarding the opposition to shift passengers to the Harbour, which is a densely populated area, and more susceptible for spread of COVID-19.
Naik said he had also spoken to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant about the concerns by locals and suggested that such isolation facility should be set up at a secluded place and away from a densely populated area.
“I have just got to know that MPT has been cleaning the area to set up a quarantine centre in Harbour, but no one has given me information till people started raising objections and approaching my office in hundreds.”
“I have requested the Dy Collector not to have the centre in Harbour because it is thickly populated area and we have to take care of our residents who are now in grave fear and panic.”
MPT Trustee Laxmikant Gavade told media persons that he came to know about quarantine facility preparation at the Harbour only on Wednesday evening.
“When we checked with the MPT chairman, he informed that this preparation is being done under Disaster Management Plan by the state government. I feel the harbour area is a densely populated area and should not have a quarantine facility,” said Gavade.
As panic grew further, hundreds of residents even marched to Dy Collector’s office to oppose the shifting of passengers to the quarantine centre in Harbour.
Later, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat tweeted “South Goa Collector has categorically stated to me that there are no plans of any such flight landing in Goa. I appeal to the residents of Vasco and surrounding areas not to panic. Let us all take precautions to stay away from COVIC-19,” while attaching a cutout of the
news item.
Later the Dabolim Airport Director also denied the report in the local daily.
“It has come to notice that in a news item, claim is made of an aircraft bringing COVID-19 infected patients from Iran to Goa. It is categorically informed that no such flight plan or schedule, slot allocation has been approved by this office @AAI_Official @MoCA_GoI @goacm”
On Thursday evening, sources said government authorities would act and initiate necessary action against the daily for creating unnecessary panic in the minds of people by providing wrong information, but no authority was willing to confirm or deny whether action would be initiated against the daily or its reporter.
