Goa’s health minister Vishwajit Rane recently urged young people to “stop partying” as the state is undergoing a sharp rise in infections in the second wave of the pandemic.
As per a report in The Indian Express, Rane said, “The young generation needs to understand that they need to stop partying and stay at home. This is not the time for you to party. This is a serious situation in the state and in the country. In clubs, we have seen people without masks, everybody jumping around the place. Action should be taken against such clubs.”
Pointing towards how the health sector is being severely burdened, he continued, “The load is increasing on doctors. Parents of these young children must try to keep them at home rather than sending them to parties…every weekend we see (youths partying) on the beach at Morjim and many other areas. It seems to be a free-flow (of) party everywhere. As a result, the virus is infecting more people compared to last year.”
S M Bandekar, who is the Dean of Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), the oxygen requirement in the state has increased from 6 trolleys to 45 trolleys with 150 oxygen cylinders each after the resurge of infections.
“I had never imagined that we will need so much oxygen. There are people on the trolley; there are people on the floor. What do you want me to do? As the health minister, I cannot raise my hands. I have to accept that this is a fact but don’t put false pictures of people. Young doctors are working hard,” Rane concluded.
On Monday, Goa recorded its highest-ever daily deaths and the highest-ever positivity rate of 34%. We hope that further reckless abandon is not carried out by people and tourists in the state amid this COVID-19 scare.
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