OPPOSITION BAGS MARGAO!
THE Congress-Goa Forward combine managed to defeat the BJP and take control over the Margao Municipal Council by a margin of 17 to 8. In Mapusa also, the Congress supported by Independents, is poised to form the council. It was a hat-trick for the saffron brigade, which captured Sangeum, Quepem and Mormugoa.
EC TO FACE MURDER CHARGE?
THE Madras High Court has blasted the Election Commission for failure to maintain covid-19 protocol during the poll campaigns in Tamil Nadu. The State High Court ruled that the EC “should be charged with murder for being the most irresponsible institution.” “You are the only institution responsible for the situation that we are in today. You have not exercised any of your authority. You have not taken action against political parties holding rallies despite orders of the Court!”
The Chennai HC threatened to stop the counting if covid-19 procedures are not followed in Tamil Nadu, which has witnessed a huge spike in cases. Over 15 officials of the Tamil Nadu office of the EC have been arrested for not enforcing SOP norms during the assembly elections.
WEAR MASK AT HOME!
THE Central government has issued new guidelines in the light of the new record India has set in covid cases and deaths. The number of covid cases on Wednesday, April 28 exceeded 3.8 lakhs and deaths crossed the 3,000 mark for the seventh consecutive day. April has claimed 40,000 lives of which 20,000 have occurred in the last seven days alone. The active cases across the country have crossed 30 lakh. India has the second largest active cases, next only to Brazil. Niti Ayog member and head of the government’s group on vaccinations, Dr V Paul, has directed “It is time people started wearing masks inside their home as well, especially when everyone is sitting together.”
PRESSURE ON VENTILATORS
DUE to the huge spike of an average of 3,000 fresh cases a day and the delay in testing in Goa, there is very heavy pressure on ventilators in the GMC. Dean Dr SM Bandekar revealed that 230 patients are on ventilators support. In the past one week 150 people have died due to the infection. Dr Bandekar has appealed to people to get themselves tested immediately if they have any covid symptoms. Things turn difficult once the patient has go on the ventilator. Medication in the early phase of the disease is the best solution. There were 24 deaths on Wednesday, April 28.
AFC CALLED OFF!
THE foreign coach of FC Goa and the foreign players who were part of the FC Goa team left for home on Wednesday, April 28 in the midst of the high profile AFC championship. Over fears that anymore delay could mean that there would be locked down in India! The foreign contingent included Captain Edu Bedia, Jorge Ortiz and Ivan Gonzalez, besides coach Juan Ferrando, all from Spain. The Australian defender, James Donachie, took the flight to Delhi to return to Australia. With the host team Goa FC collapsing, the championship league is likely to be called off. Among the teams participating were AK Rayyan (Qatar), Al Wahda (UAE) and Iranian Champion Persepolis FC.
BAGA/CANDOLIM SHUT TILL MAY 9
WHILE the state-wide lockdown declared by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will end on Monday, April 3 at 6 am, the tourism hotspots of Calangute, Candolim and Arpora which are seeing a huge surge in covid-19 cases will continue to be treated as containment zones for ten days beginning Thursday, April 29. All hotels in the tourism hub will be closed and no fresh bookings permitted. The highest number of active cases as on April 29 in Margao – 1,828; followed by Candolim Primary Heath Centre — 1,436. The Candolim PHC caters to Calangute and Baga also. Active cases in Porvorim – 1,291; followed by Panaji – 1,162.
CM COVID RULE-BREAKER
CHIEF Minister Pramod Sawant violated COVID-19 SOP norms by inaugurating a bridge at Sakhali in the presence of about 300 locals immediately before announcing the lockdown. This was a violation under Section 144 which had already been imposed and which bans gathering of more than five people at any public place. However, the CM and most of the crowd with him were masked.
Meanwhile we hear migrants have started flocking to the railway stations on hearing about the lockdown. About 20 labourers from Jharkhand have decided to go back fearing an extension of lockdown.
The US has told American citizens in India to leave the country as soon as they can as it is not safe and does not have the minimum medical facilities for treating covid-19. Best get out while they can.
`LE MONDE’ THREATENED!
WHILE Local media is being supressed by the Modi government, international media has been harshly critical of Narendra Modi’s management of the second Covid-19 wave. Commenting on the 3,50,000 new infections and more than 2,000 deaths recorded every day, the French `Le Monde’ newspaper has commented, “a situation due to the unpredictability of the virus but also due to the lack of anticipation, arrogance and demagogy of the Indian PM. Presented as the pharmacy of the world, the country exported and offered millions of doses of vaccines. It is now not able to provide vaccines to its own people.”
The PM after paralyzing and traumatizing his country in 2020 by brutal confinement, abandoning millions of migrant labour, completely ignored the new wave. He has been inclined more to self-celebration than to protect the population.”