News Analysis India

Tag: Goa Coronavirus

  • Oxygen supply streamlining at Goa hospital: Health Minister Vishwajit Rane

    By PTI
    PANAJI: The oxygen supply at the Goa Medical College and Hospital was getting streamlined following commissioning of a new tank of life-saving gas at the facility, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Sunday.

    Over last five days (till Saturday morning), 83 patients died at the state-run medical facility during the “dark hours” between 2 am and 6 am, as per official figures.

    A 20,000 kilo litre oxygen tank was commissioned at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on Saturday.

    Rane told PTI that the oxygen supply at the GMCH was getting streamlined after commissioning of the tank.

    “Now, we should not have problems regarding the oxygen supply. The commissioning of the tank is a major step towards solving this problem,” he said.

    The tank was shifted from Bicholim industrial estate and the move would reduce the GMCH’s dependence on oxygen cylinders, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Saturday.

    On Saturday, GMCH Dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar said it was not right to attribute all the deaths during the “dark hours” over the last few days to drop in oxygen levels as COVID-19 fatalities were taking place throughout the day.

    “There can be several reasons,” he had said.

    The Goa government earlier told the Bombay High Court that there were “logistic issues” related to supply of medical oxygen to patients.

    The HC’s Goa bench had asked the state government to take corrective steps.

  • Lockdown to continue in Goa’s tourist hotspots: Minister Michael Lobo

    By PTI
    PANAJI: Tourist hotspots like Calangute and Candolim in North Goa will continue to be under lockdown, even as the government has lifted the lockdown in other parts of the state, Ports Minister Michael Lobo said on Monday.

    Goa, a popular tourism destination, reported an extremely high COVID-19 test positivity rate of over 50 per cent last Thursday, following which the state government imposed the lockdown from April 29.

    The lockdown was lifted at 6 am on Monday.

    However, Lobo told PTI that the lockdown will continue in the tourism belt of North Goa district to break the chain of the viral infection.

    “We are going to continue a strict lockdown in the villages of Calangute, Candolim and Arpora-Nagoa,” Lobo said.

    The panchayats of these three areas, which are very popular among tourists, have passed orders to continue the lockdown to curb the spread of the infection, said the MLA from Calangute.

    Local administration will ensure proper availability of the essential commodities for people living in these areas, Lobo said.

    Currently, there are 1,611 active COVID-19 cases in these areas, as per the state health directorate.

    Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said the lockdown imposed in Goa on April 29 will be lifted at 6 am on Monday.

    He also said the COVID-19-induced restrictions will remain in force in the state till May 10 during which various commercial establishments will remain closed and political and social gatherings will be banned.

    On Sunday, Goa’s coronavirus caseload went up by 2,030 to reach 95,385 on Sunday, while 52 deaths pushed the toll to 1,274, as per official data.

  • COVID-19: Online exam for students of Class 9 and 11 in Goa

    By PTI
    PANAJI: In the wake of rising COVID-19 cases in Goa, the state education department has directed the higher secondary schools and junior colleges to hold examinations for Classes 9 and 11 in online mode.

    The department had earlier announced that examinations for students of Class 1 to 8 would be held online and they can appear for the test from home.

    On Friday evening, director of education D R Bhagat issued a fresh circular, in which he asked the educational institutions to hold exams for Classes 9 and 11 also in online mode.

    The circular has been issued to all the higher secondary schools in the state, which were gearing up to hold offline exams for the students from this week.

    “It is informed that the examinations for Standard ninth and eleventh should be conducted by allowing students to answer from their residences, in the same way the students up to standard eight have been allowed,” the circular read.

    The COVID-19 caseload of Goa rose by 482 to touch 61,239 on Friday.

    There were 3,597 active cases till Friday night.

  • No lockdown in Goa, move will disturb economic activities: CM Pramod Sawant

    The CM stressed upon vaccination and COVID-19 appropriate behaviour to stem the rise of coronavirus.

  • COVID-19: Goa sees 66 cases, one death 

    With 1,310 samples being examined on Sunday, the number of tests in Goa went up to 5,14,309, the official said.