'Amid spike in COVID-19 cases, Goa to procure 200 ventilators'

Panaji:  The Goa government is stepping up procurement of nearly 200 ventilators amid sudden surge in COVID-19 count in the state, which has reached 202 with the addition of 71 fresh cases on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters in Panaji, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said that despite abrupt increase in coronavirus cases, all the patients were healthy and the recovery rate in the state was one of the best in the country.

"We are getting 100-odd additional ventilators in a day or two. We have placed an order for 200 ventilators in all. We currently have around 50 to 70 ventilators," Rane told reporters.

Over the last one week, the state which had zero-Covid for more than a month until May, witnessed a rise in the number of positive cases, with the official tally of active cases currently at 202.

A bulk of the cases have been reported at the Mangor hill area in South Goa's Vasco town, which was declared as a containment zone last week.

Rane also said that several health workers who had been frequenting the area, before it was declared as a containment zone have also tested positive, when asked about the delay in testing of the Mangor hill cluster, where nearly 2,000 persons reside.

"Many of our staff have been infected. They had gone there earlier, before the area was declared a containment zone. We are trying alternative strategies. Screening and testing of patients will continue," the Health Minister said, adding that the government was mulling to alter the state's SOP to deal with the pandemic.