Goa Covid count hits 320, Taleigao man, tea boy test positive

PANAJI: Goa’s active Covid-19 count shot up to 320 on Wednesday after the detection of 28 new cases, 24 of which were linked to the Mangor Hill containment zone in Vasco. Since the detection of the first cases there last Monday, the area has accounted for 275 of the state’s total active cases after the government intensified testing in the densely-populated area.
The day also saw Covid-19 panic spread to Panaji, after a 70-year-old man from Taleigao who tested negative four days ago, tested positive. Since the source of his infection is unclear, 85 swabs of persons linked to him were collected on Wednesday. His family, too, has been quarantined. The health department is probing how he may have contracted the infection.
Taleigao sarpanch Agnelo D’Cunha said that the man was first taken to TB and chest disease hospital, St Inez, after complaining of chest infection. He was then referred to GMC’s isolation ward. On admission, he tested negative for Covid-19. However, four days later, on Tuesday, he tested positive. “He didn’t have any travel history, I hope there are no more cases here,” D’Cunha said.
Health officials moved quickly to commence contact tracing. “We have been taking swabs of persons residing in the vicinity of that house today,” a top official said. Responding to a query on whether the case was linked to Mangor Hill, he said, “We will get to know details only once the test results of the people in the locality are known”.
Meanwhile in Margao, a tea server working at the ESI/Covid hospital tested positive for Covid, and has been admitted there, said deputy health director Dr Ira Almeida. He used to deliver tea to hospital staff. The medical team is now ascertaining the source of his infection, since the person entered neither the hospital kitchen nor wards.
Shadow Council for Margao convenor Savio Coutinho demanded sanitisation of the entire area housing the residential quarters of ESI staff. He also demanded that swab samples of residents of the vicinity be taken for testing. Coutinho said that he already spoke to health minister Vishwajit Rane and district collector Ajit Roy, and that they’ve assured “immediate steps”.