Goa: Villages impose lockdowns as Covid-19 triggers self-preservation

PANAJI: As Covid-19 continues to make inroads into the state’s hinterlands, the villages of Goa—from Paliem in the north to Poinguinim in the south—have taken matters in their own hands and gone for self-imposed lockdowns.
With the state government refusing to bring in fresh measures to contain the spread of virus, over 10 villages so far have announced their own lockdowns and feel they have been left to fend for themselves.

CM Pramod Sawant’s flippant remarks like “Goans have a strong immune system” and “bhivpachi garaz na (no need to fear)” on the Covid-19 crisis and differing voices by his own ministers have done little to reassure the villages.
“I along with my panch members have requested establishments to remain shut and people to stay home,” Paliem sarpanch Uday Gawandi told TOI. Paliem is close to the Maharashtra border.
On Wednesday, Shiroli in Sattari taluka joined the ever-growing band of villages, announcing a 14-day lockdown within its jurisdiction. The trend started on Monday, in the rural hamlet of Guleli. Soon, Ugem in Sanguem, Poinguinim in Canacona, Pale in Bicholim, Usgao in Ponda and Paliem in Pernem talukas announced their own lockdowns.
TOI had frontpaged a report on Wednesday showing how Covid-19 positive cases have moved from the Mangor Hill containment zone to far-flung corners of the state in just a week. Cases began to surface in rural Goa after at least 19 health workers and an equal number of government employees tested positive over the past few days.
‘Everyone has given a positive response to our call to shut’
As of Wednesday, Goa had 320 active cases, most linked to Mangor Hill, according to the government.
Opposition members and MLAs within the ruling dispensation, too, have urged Sawant to impose a wider lockdown and bring in stricter measures to contain the spread of the virus.
Paliem opted for the five-day self-imposed lockdown after a government employee residing in the village reportedly tested positive for Covid-19. “Everyone has given a positive response to our call, and all establishments are closed. They have assured us that they will remain closed for the next four days,” said Gawandi.
At the other end of Goa, Canacona has imposed similar measures after a family of three, including a Kadamba Transport Corporation driver, tested positive for Covid-19.
The Canacona Municipal Council and the panchayats of Shristhal and Poinguinim decided to close the local market for four days, with the Poinguinim panchayat appealing to locals, vendors and shopkeepers not to come out.
All shopkeepers, vegetable and fruit vendors operating within the Canacona municipal limits agreed to keep their shops closed for four days till Sunday.
The first Covid-19 cases to surface in Goa’s hinterland were at Morlem and Guleli, on the periphery of Goa’s border with Karnataka. The health department quickly initiated a contact tracing team to Sattari to screen all contacts of the positive patients.
However, secretary for health Nila Mohanan said there was no need for a lockdown in these villages.
But in a clear rebuff to Mohanan, as soon as the cases were confirmed, the few shops in Guleli quickly downed their shutters and asked all residents to self-isolate themselves. Morlem and Keri soon followed suit, imposing a four-day lockdown in panic.
“Coronavirus has reached us, and for our own protection, the village has opted to keep all shops closed,” Keri panch Laxman Gauns said.
Pale, too, observed a self-enforced lockdown on Wednesday after a woman staying at Chawdi-Pale tested positive for Covid-19. Sarpanch Prashila Gawde said that villagers decided to close all shops and other businesses on their own.
“The panchayat will convene a special meeting to discuss the issue of the virus and whether to continue with the lockdown after reports of the remaining family members are received,” Gawde told TOI.
On Tuesday, Usgao in Ponda imposed a two-day shutdown after two health workers working at the Vasco urban health centre tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The same day, Rane said state government was monitoring the spread of the virus in Sattari and Usgao.
“Covid-19 tests will be conducted in certain areas of Morlem panchayat, including Shiroli and Guleli,” Rane said in a statement on social media.
However, the statement has done little to reassure residents, and local public transport unions have decided to go off the road in Usgao out of fear.