Goa: Citizens anxious over exposure to ‘virus carriers’

PANAJI: The state government’s decision to conduct door-to-door Covid-19 survey has left citizens anxious about the potential spread of the virus as they will be exposed to the surveyors.
A general practitioner from Panaji, Dr Rufino Monteiro said that there is no clarity on the procedure of the interviews.
“People are yet to be informed about that. Conducting the survey may not really be the right thing.There should be a check wherein people can trust and cooperate with health workers, especially people that return from overseas,” he said.
Adv Aires Pinto Furtado said that there could be people on both ends who do not want to divulge that they have symptoms.
“How can the workers themselves be sure that who they’re surveying is not the patient? How can we be reassured that the interviewers are not carriers of the virus?” he added.
Joe D’souza, a former Goa University scientist and an expert in microbiology, said that India is not the focal point of the virus and non-travelling citizens are therefore not the carriers.
President of the Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG), Avelino Dsa said that the testing needs to be done to avoid community spread of the virus. “It is not advisable to do it at this time, but considering the seriousness of the issue, it has to be done.”
A doctor from Margao said he has no problem with the government employees visiting as long as they don’t enter the house and stand outside the gate and ask their questions.
“We have to do what it takes and cooperate. If the workers follow hygiene protocol, wear masks and maintain social distancing we don’t have a problem,” a Margao resident said.