Goa govt to hold meeting to discuss Covid preparedness

PANAJI: The Goa government will hold a meeting of various departments on Friday over rising COVID-19 cases in some parts of the world, wherein it will discuss its preparedness for a possible surge in infections amid the ongoing tourist season in the state.

Talking to reporters on Thursday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said precautionary measures that need to be taken in view of the spike in coronavirus cases in countries like China will be discussed at the meeting.

"The meeting will take stock of the situation in Goa," he said.

Due to the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations, the coastal state has been witnessing a rise in tourist footfall.

State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Thursday evening took to twitter to request citizens to adopt COVID- appropriate behaviour.

"In wake of a spike in COVID-19 cases in several countries, we request people to follow appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks and getting vaccinated against the virus if you haven't," he said.

"We will also take guidance of the Chief Minister to ensure directed protocols are stringently followed in Goa. It is my humble request to the people to take infection prevention measures. Let us unitedly step up once again and fight COVID-19," he said in another tweet.

Rane said a review meeting with all the doctors and health officials will be taken to ensure everything is in place to tackle the infection.

"As we are a tourist state, all measures to build our surveillance system as per the guidelines of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be taken to ensure timely detection," he said.

The state health department's bulletin issued on Thursday said there were 14 active COVID-19 cases in the state. As one person tested positive on Thursday, the overall infection tally of the state rose to 2,59,062.

Nobody succumbed to the infection on Thursday, but the death toll in the state stood at 4,013, it said.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level COVID-19 review meeting, where he cautioned against complacency, called for strict vigil and directed that the ongoing surveillance measures, especially at international airports, be strengthened.

"Covid is not over yet," Modi said while urging people to wear masks in crowded places.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will hold a meeting with health ministers of states and Union territories on Friday amid growing concerns over the spurt in cases in China and some other countries.