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Tourism activities can resume only after everyone gets Covid-19 vaccine: Goa CM
Pramod Sawant said Goa has made all preparations to tackle the possible third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tourism activities can be restarted in the state after July 30 by when the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine will be administered to everyone, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Tuesday. “I think at present 60 per cent of our population has already received their first dose. Our target is to vaccinate 100 per cent of the people with their first dose by July 30,” Promod Sawant told news agency ANI.
Sawant, while speaking about a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, said that the Goa government has made all preparations and has also appointed a committee of doctors. “Based on their suggestions, we have started everything regarding infrastructure, equipment and manpower training. The task force under my chairmanship is giving approval for everything,” ANI quoted him as saying.
He further said that the state has set up camps at every gram panchayat and every municipality for the third phase of the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive.
Sawant’s remarks come after the state government on Monday told the high court that any inquiry into Covid-19 deaths due to the alleged oxygen shortage at Goa Medical College and Hospital in May would demoralise doctors, nurses and other frontline workers. “Medical personnel and bureaucrats should not be subjected to such treatment in the name of PIL (public interest litigation),” advocate general Devidas Pangam said.
Notably, India on Monday launched the universal Covid-19 vaccination drive wherein the Centre will give free vaccines to the states and Union territories for those under the 18-45 category. As many as 8.6 million vaccine doses were administered on Monday – the highest ever single-day vaccination in the world so far – the Union health ministry said in a statement.
In its revised Covid-19 vaccination policy, the Centre is procuring and supplying 75 per cent of the total vaccine doses for free to the states and Union territories. More than 293.5 million vaccine doses have been rendered so far, “through Government of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category”, the health ministry added.
Goa reported 202 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the state’s active caseload to 3066, official data showed. Seven fatalities have taken the state’s death toll to 2997, according to data. Total recoveries have climbed up to 158,591 with 413 being recorded in the last 24 hours.
