Goa in race to reopen, as if Kovid never happened

All this fanfare makes residents of the state uncomfortably reminiscent of the debacle it played out as India’s smallest state, from the country’s first Covid-free “green zone” to a full-blown pandemic emergency, the most With positivity numbers went down sharply. Recorded anywhere in the world.

The lowest point in this continuous history of debacle came in May, when it almost accidentally emerged that insufficient oxygen supply at the Goa Medical College caused hordes of patients to breathe—many dying.

After the daily death count reached 75, Sawant took a flight to the state’s main health facility, where he claimed, “I am probably the first chief minister of the country to visit a Covid-19 ward,” then Without hesitation, he blamed his own health minister for the crisis, declaring that “the problem would be solved in a day” now that he had control. But still the carnage continued.

By this point, Goa’s health minister Vishwajit Rane was shifting the blame back to his boss, making an extraordinary request that the state high court examine his own portfolio to “investigate the reasons behind these deaths”. . but they also could not make any progress. The bench issued an unprecedented apology on May 12, saying: “We have failed to save lives. We are sorry.”

Even these histories of misgovernance do not have it all, because, at the deadly peak of the ‘second wave’, the health minister drew international ridicule by announcing that he would give anthelmintic medication to all residents of Goa above 18. providing adequate supply of Ivermectin, which he was urged to start immediately “despite any symptoms or anything.” Two months later, he poked fun at himself again for officially certifying “no deaths have been directly attributed to lack of oxygen.”

The Prime Minister’s interaction with the selection of Goa’s health workers last weekend had shades of magical thinking. “Think about it – hotel industry, taxi drivers, hawkers, shopkeepers – when they are all vaccinated, tourists will also come with a sense of security,” Modi said, adding that “more than 2.5 crore people visited yesterday. And got the vaccine after 12 o’clock. At night, there were reactions of a political party, their fever was on the rise. Iska koi logic ho saya hai kya (Can there be any logic in this)?”

Many residents of Goa fear it is this unnecessary politicization of the pandemic that is behind Sawant’s move to expand tourism, even as the medical establishment warns of an early ‘third wave’ of Covid Used to be. With state elections due early next year, it is already campaigning season, with party leaders—Devendra Fadnavis, P Chidambaram, Arvind Kejriwal—moving around the state at the same time.

“They probably think they are hedging their bets,” says Albertina Almeida, a veteran lawyer and human rights activist who coordinates an important COVID civil action group. “During this time, many people have lost their jobs, and others are in disguised employment. with nominal income. So, with elections approaching, the government wants to create a good situation, so that people can feel hopeful and forget their sufferings, which the same government has made no effort to alleviate.” She explains that “every time Figures show declining trend, government opens up like it has never heard of Covid. Besides lack of surveillance, cabinet members themselves violate protocol, and there are plenty of audio-visual documents to prove it On what basis can we rely on the CM’s assurance?”

The problem is the difference between words and actions, says Akash Madgaokar, a cruise operator and outspoken member of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa. His company uses strict precautions, but “we have found it difficult, as many guests have asked us why we are taking all these measures while other river cruise operators are not following it. So much so that the guests have moved on to other boats.’ Possibility of more waves, curfews and lockdowns that will harm everyone’s health and income. Strict enforcement is the key. The government has to ensure that all operators are doing the necessary work to continue safe operations, and take action against those who do not follow the guidelines.”

Vivek Menezes is a writer and photographer from Goa.