Goa government’s quarantine sticker project off to rocky start

PANAJI: The health department’s initiative to put stickers outside the houses of people who have been quarantined hasn’t quite gotten off to a smooth smart. Officials have encountered an unexpected roadblock — the fear of stigmatisation, that has made many wary of these stickers. In a few places, health officials faced resistance, too.
One health officier said that in his jurisdiction, most people have already completed the 14-day quarantine period, but he is still worried.“People are bound to object,” he said. “I don’t know how we will proceed, but since it’s a government order, we will have to do it.”
An official at another primary health centre said that its health workers fear being attacked. “There is bound to be resistance, as putting stickers leads to stigmatisation,” he said. “I had to call the police after two suspects objected when we went to their house to put stickers. They questioned us and argued with our staff. We had received complaints from their neighbours that they had been defying home quarantine norms.”
The stickers were pasted outside the houses of the two suspects, as well as two others who had attended Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi, the official said.
Along the coastal belt of North Goa, a health official said that his centre isn’t required to put stickers as most people have completed their quarantine period. “There were a few who are half-way through their quarantine period, and they have been very cooperative,” he said.
Meanwhile, a health official heading a primary health centre with jurisdiction over slum areas said that he is tackling the problem by taking the help of society heads or people of the ward. “If you explain and convince them, it works,” he said. “People in the society or ward help those in quarantine get whatever they need. This way, they are not compelled to go out. This approach has worked in my jurisdiction.”
A similar procedure has been adopted by a health official in North Goa who, until a week ago, was tracking over 300 people in his jurisdiction.
“A lot depends on how we approach people and explain to them why we are doing what we are doing,” he said. “When we go with stickers, they are scared and worried. I assure them that no harm will come to them. We have a few houses to put stickers on. I have told suspects to remove stickers after completion of their quarantine period in case health workers fail to do it in time.”