Third COVID Wave May Hit Goa By August, Cannot Slack Off: Here's What The Expert Panel Said

Even as the second wave of Covid-19 continues to ebb, members of the the state¡¯s expert panel warned against slacking ahead of the third wave, and said that if people abandon Covid-appropriate behaviour, it may hit the state earlier and harder no matter what preparation the government puts in, reports TOI.

State epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar said that cases may continue to drop through July and rise again in mid-August , peaking in September. His warning comes a day after AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria warned the nation that the third wave may hit in six to eight weeks if Covid-appropriate is is not followed.

BCCL

What panel said

Doctors and experts also stressed on the need to get vaccinated at the earliest, as a vaccinated population would drastically reduce the number of severe cases and pressure on hospitals, as well as deaths.

¡°If the state does what needs to be done, Goa will succeed in deferring the second wave. People should also act responsibly, because the government alone cannot beat the virus,¡± said a senior doctor who is part of the state¡¯s expert committee.

BCCL

Nature of 3rd wave can't be predicted

Another top doctor said that while nobody can predict the exact nature of the anticipated third wave, people¡¯s complacency towards Covid-appropriate be haviour and enforcement agencies¡¯ apathy in implementing mea measures can raise chances of hastening its onset.

However, the senior doctor said that if a large segment of the population is vaccinated, the wave may not be as severe as the second. ¡°There will be fewer severe cases and mortalities if more people are vaccinated, and fewer hospital admissions too,¡± he said.

On 25 May 2021, the Goa government said the infrastructure required to tackle the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is ready, while a group of paediatricians is being trained to adhere to treatment protocol prescribed by the AIIMS.

PTI

Lockdown extended

Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday announced extension of the `curfew imposed in the state on account of the coronavirus pandemic till 28 June. State-level curfew will be extended till 7 am.

"Shops in shopping malls, except cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes, entertainment zones allowed to be open between 7 am to 3 pm . Fish market may also open," he tweeted. The curfew was first imposed on 9 May this year and has been extended several times since then.

Agencies

The coastal state witnessed an infection positivity rate of as high as 51 percent during the second wave of the pandemic, which later dipped. Goa recorded 302 new COVID-19 cases and nine deaths on Saturday while 419 patients recovered, according to the health department.