Finally, it is very much official that the second wave of Corona Pandemic has gripped Goa with the daily rising number of cases and increase in the fatality the situation in Goa has become scarier with time. According to the GMC dean the second wave consists of the “Double Mutant” virus trains of Corona which has apparently traveled from Maharashtra.
The all-time high death rate of Covid touched to 17 in Goa in a single day made the health minister Vishwajit Rane say that the COVID situation in Goa is “scary”. Goa also recorded the highest ever single-day transmission rate since the outbreak of the pandemic in the state, as 940 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours with a positivity rate of 34.48 percent.
“Seventeen deaths are too many… with a high positivity rate of 34 percent, we need to see as to how to bring it (the pandemic) under control. This is a very scary situation in the state of Goa,” Rane told a press conference in Panaji adding that “Positivity rate is going higher and higher. We don’t know how and when this spike will come down. It (coronavirus) will take away a lot of people if we don’t put all measures in place.”
The health minister also blamed the people of Goa for not following the Covid norms saying that the young people must understand that this is a serious situation in the state.
Rane also lashed out at the clubs in Goa that are violating the covid norms openly by organizing the parties, perhaps he was addressing the issue of Holi Celebration Parties organized by some clubs in north Goa.
“There are patients on the floor and stretchers. What you want me to do? I as the Health Minister cannot raise my hands up. I have to accept that it is a fact. But don’t upload false pictures and make them viral which may create panic,” he said.
With the spike of 940 fresh cases, the confirmed cases of the dreaded virus currently stand at 68,152 of which 7,547 are active cases while 59,705 patients have recovered from the disease.
Dean of Goa Medical College and Hospital Dr. S M Bandekar on Monday said that Maharashtra’s ‘double mutant’ variant of coronavirus could be the strain that has gripped Goa during the ongoing second wave of the pandemic.
“We are seeing that this second wave has got very high infectivity. It is a mutant virus and looks like the ‘double mutant strain of Maharashtra. Hence it is extremely important to wear a mask and follow COVID-appropriate behavior,” Dr. Bandekar said, interacting with media persons in Panaji along with Health Minister Vishwajit Rane.
During the previous peak, the high infectivity was seen in people with co-morbidities and people above 55 years of age. However, in this second wave, people aged 45 and below are getting infected with COVID, Dr. Bandekar explained, pointing out that “even the mortality is high among the people below 45 years”.
