Goa has witnessed a massive spike in the number of Covid-19 positive cases with figures crossing the 1000 mark for the second day in succession. The number of deaths due to the coronavirus reported in the past few days is also huge. However what is most disturbing is the positivity rate reported in the state. The positivity rate in Goa has reportedly touched an all-time high of 37 percent. This is much higher than the national level and probably the highest among all the states in the country. A high per cent positive indicates that it is a good time to add restrictions to slow the spread of disease. A higher per cent positive also suggests higher transmission and that there are likely more people with coronavirus in the community who haven’t been tested yet. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended in May 2020 that the per cent positive remain below 5% for at least two weeks before governments consider reopening. Goa’s positivity rate is much higher than this figure which makes one wonder how long it will take before things in the state come back to normal.
