Goa's Covid-19 positivity drops to 20 pc in one month

Panaji: The COVID-19 positivity rate in Goa has now come down to 19 per cent as against 51 per cent a month back, according to the state government.

However, the Goa government has not let its guard down and is making all efforts to curb the spread of the virus by emphasising on vaccination, Dr Shivanand Bandekar, head of the state’s expert committee on COVID-19, told PTI on Monday.

He also said that till last week, the coastal state reported a total of 12 cases of mucormycosis, and since then there has been no fresh case of the black fungus infection.

As per the data of Goa health department, the state reported 20 per cent COVID-19 positivity rate on Monday as compared to 51 per cent on April 30.

“According to experts, there are 90 per cent chances that the third wave of COVID-19 may hit the state in about a month-and-a-half (mid-July),” Bandekar said.

But, the state government is cautious and making all efforts to stem the spread of the virus, said Bandekar, who is also the dean of the state-run Goa Medical



College and Hospital.

He said experts have predicted that the third wave may affect those below the age of 18 and also impact the state’s rural pockets.

“Till now, adults in urban areas have been infected.

There is herd immunity among them to a certain extent,” he said, adding the virus will now try to find a “new host”.

The official also said vaccination is the best way to check the spread of the infection.

“Even if you get infected after vaccination, the severity of the disease is low. Very few people who have taken both the doses of vaccine have died. Those who died after taking both the doses was because they had high co-morbidity,” Bandekar said.

He said during the second wave of COVID-19, people died either due to co-morbidities or severity of the viral infection.

“Some of the younger patients died because of the severity of the disease. The vaccines will definitely protect us from all mutants,” Bandekar said.