Cases in India are not only increasing but so are the number of mutant variations! The deadly South African mutant virus has been detected in India. The number of cases including deaths are increasing at a fast rate. The worry is whether the 2 approved vaccines will be effective against these new variants.
What action is required? If we learnt anything from last year's experience in Goa, we would stop the entrance into Goa of these variants. We are not doing that.
What are we losing by way of this inaction? Many are still dying from the same. Others will be hospitalised and hence lose their salaries while the industry will lose productive man days. It is estimated that each Covid patient generates 71 Kgs of waste! To date, with 57,000 cases, the medical waste has increased by 4,000 tones. As it is the government has no proper medical waste disposal system: where will this additional waste go? Did the budget cater to medical waste treatment? Goa is struggling with household waste disposal. The amount of medications, PPE, sanitisers, hospital beds, oxygen, health worker man days, etc. that will be consumed as expenditure is conveniently swept under the carpet. What the government can see is only the tinkle of cash registers of tourism stakeholders! While they rake in the moolah, who will foot the above costs? Tourism stakeholders? This is an under the table budget sop to the tourism sector!
The Centre has now increased the interval between the vaccine doses by a minimum 2 weeks. Ideally the same should have been increased to minimum 7 weeks. With the rising cases people will be forced to take the 2nd dose after 4 weeks reducing the efficacy rate. All for whose benefit?
Which aspiring new party will take this matter to court? If none, then they risk being empty vessels.
