It is rather disheartening to learn that at a time when the European and African countries have placed a blanket ban on to and fro UK flights, our government has not scaled down operations at the Dabolim airport to contain the raging new variant of the UK Covid strain. May of those who returned have tested positive for Covid-19. While nine passengers were detected with the new mutant strain, one young UK returnee died in Chandor two days after arrival while five other cases have been detected in Canacona, Sanguem and Curtorim. This is a poor reflection of the state of affairs on the part of the health authorities to check the rampant surge of the new manifestation of the virus. To compound the problem, the government turned a blind eye to the arrival of domestic tourists to ring in the New Year contrary to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to enforce night curfew. The nocturnal revelers breached every rule of law as was evident by strewn broken beer bottles on the beaches in the aftermath of partying. It was business as usual at the cost of public health.
The local people by and large is disciplined. They have taken abundant precaution by observing all the protocols and SOPs to check the spread of the deadly virus. This is one of the resons why Goa is faring reasonably well compared to other states on the virus front. If at all there could be an exponential rise in Covid-related cases now, the onus would rest on the State authorities for their laxity in enforcing controls by imposing restrictions on air, road and rail travel to and from Covid-prone destinations as is being done by other states.
