Goa: Health department in a tizzy as Raia, Curtorim throw up new cases

MARGAO: Even as contact tracing and testing of the positive cases found at Raia and Curtorim on Monday is underway, three new Covid cases from Curtorim and one from Raia were detected on Tuesday. Besides a person from Malbhat, Margao, also tested positive for Covid.

What has raised concern among the medical fraternity is the detection of isolated cases with no apparent travel history. Experts in the medical field have advised utmost caution by the people in view of the spike in such cases.
Sources in the health department said that on Tuesday, a Curtorim resident who presented himself with complaints of fever for the last four days tested positive for the virus.
‘Awaiting reports of remaining tests’
Subsequently, two persons who were identified as his high risk contacts, including a doctor, were subjected to Covid tests and both turned positive, it was informed.
The new case in Raia, sources said, was a patient suffering from severe pneumonia and admitted in Hospicio. “Before shifting him to GMC, we took his swab samples and he turned positive,” a senior health official at Hospicio said. The person from Malbhat who tested positive for Covid-19 had come to the hospital complaining of cold and cough.
“Both Curtorim and Margao cases have no obvious travel history,” deputy director of health services Dr Ira Almeida told TOI. Investigation and contact tracing of the new cases is underway.
As part of the contact tracing exercise at Raia, of the 20-25 swab samples taken for testing on Monday, ten tests have returned negative, sources said, and reports of the rest were awaited. “The person who tested positive hardly came in contact with anybody in the locality,” a health official said.
“A decision on whether to continue with further tests will depend on the reports of all the remaining samples,” the official said.
Sources in the health department said that if all the samples test negative, further contact tracing and testing will not be required. “However, this will necessitate further probe into the travel history of the patient tested positive, as it will mean he is concealing some vital facts,” the source said.
The contact tracing at Curtorim led to drawing of nearly 50 swab samples on Monday for testing, out of which 14 returned negative. The person who tested positive is said to be a truck driver engaged in sand transportation. Though he had travelled to different places in North Goa, including Pernem, Deusua and Valpoi, he hadn’t crossed the state borders.