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Goa: Herd immunity only after minimum 60% of population gets vaccinated, say doctors | Goa News – Times of India

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PANAJI: Goa is a long way from achieving herd immunity. As of Tuesday, only 6% of the state’s population has been vaccinated, and to reach herd immunity, at least 60% of the people have to be immunised.
The 45-plus age group is still skeptical about the vaccine and many of them are yet to come forward to get the jab. The 10-day Tika Utsav covering villages and municipal areas, which started on Wednesday, is expected to cover a greater proportion of people in this age category in the following days.
“People should come in big numbers to get vaccinated so that herd immunity is reached. It will set in when at least 60% of the population is fully immunised (administered both doses) but we are far from it,” said Dr Jagadish Kakodkar, head of the department of preventive and social medicine, Goa Medical College (GMC).
Data released by the directorate of health services revealed that as of Wednesday, 95,886 people in the state were fully vaccinated and 3,00,923 people had received the first dose.
Kakodkar said that greater the proportion of the population vaccinated, less severe will be the cases and fewer deaths. “A doctor will tell you that no vaccine is free of side-effects. Yet so much misinformation has been spread about the Covid vaccine.”
“Even with the Covid vaccine, there is a risk, but it is negligible. So isn’t it wiser to take the vaccine?” he said, urging people to get vaccinated without further delay.
State epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar said that people have no option but to get vaccinated at the earliest so that herd immunity is achieved. “If we don’t do that, we are giving the virus a chance to mutate. Once we get about 70% of our population vaccinated, mutation of the virus will reduce,” said Betodkar.
He said that the next 15 days will be the best time to get vaccinated as after that the monsoon will set in. During rains, people may defer stepping out and standing in queues. “I would say, people should not waste an opportunity to get vaccinated in the next 15 days,” Betodkar said.
The government has maintained that it wants to get the maximum population inoculated at the earliest, however, an official, who did not want to be named, said that by looking at the pace of vaccination, it is difficult to say when Goa will be able to attain the target.



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Broke Swiggy guy walks 3 km to deliver food, Social media helps him find better job. Heartwarming story is viral

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Social media can be a wondrous place at times. While on most days, its ugly face is on display, on days like today, it sets examples of the power of kindness. In a social media post, a LinkedIn user shared how a delivery executive, in need of money and a better job, bagged one after the users on the platform came together to help the person out.

Priyanshi Chandel, Marketing Manager at tech company Flash, shared an incident about a Swiggy delivery agent who had come to deliver food at her residence. When she asked the late and out-of-breath delivery person, identified by her as Sahil Singh, about what happened, he told her that he had no transport and had to walk 3 km to deliver the order.

He also said that he was out of money and had nothing left to pay his landlord too. Singh told her that he was not looking for money from her but requested her to help him bag a job. He said that he had a degree in Electrical and Communication Engineering, and had worked with Byju’s and Ninjacart before. He had to move back to Jammu during the pandemic.

“I have not eaten for a week, just drinking water and tea to get by. I am not asking for anything, please if you can find me a job, I used to make 25k before, I am 30 years old, my parents are getting old and I can’t keep asking for money from them (sic),” Chandel quoted saying.

She also shared his marksheets and contact number for people to help. His details shared show that he is a 2018 BTech graduate from Mewar University, and completed his schooling from the Jammu and Kashmir state board.

After she shared the details, the comments section was filled with people who stepped up to help. While someone recharged his Yulu account so that he did not have to walk around to deliver food, someone offered a place to stay. Many offered to help him with his applications, while some offered jobs too.

Chandel, later on put an update on the post, and said that he received a job.

However, so far it is unclear what job he has received.

2023 has so far been a year of job losses, an eventual outcome of the pandemic and increased hiring by tech companies. For instance, the SSC MTS 2023 recruitment exam that took place in Uttar Pradesh in May saw over 55 lakh applications for Group D jobs. Numerous candidates who applied for positions such as peon, watchman, gardener had educational backgrounds like BTech, MBA, and Master’s degrees.

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Goa CM, NRI Commissioner writes to MoEF for help in safe return of Goans from Ukraine

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Panaji: Goa chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Thursday urged Union Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar to help in safe return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

Sawant tweeted “we are concerned about the Goans in Ukraine who are considering to return to India in the light of ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. I request Union Minister for External Affairs @DrSJaishankar ji for help in the safe return of Goans. I am keeping track of the situation.”

The chief minister’s tweet comes hours after Goa’s NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar wrote to the Union External Affairs ministry seeking help in return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

“Many Goans are currently residing in Ukraine due to various purposes including higher studies and due to the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine, I have started receiving requests for help and assistance from them to return back to India,” Sawaikar wrote.

The Commissioner further wrote in the letter that advisories have already been issued by the Ministery of External Affairs to Indians currently in Ukraine and our Indian Mission in Kyiy is currently handling the matter.

“Striking note of urgency, the Government of India has recently asked the family members of Embassy officials in Ukraine as well as students and citizens whose stay is not vital , to leave the Eastern European nation amid it’s raising tensions with Russia,” the letter reads.

Sawaikar wrote that the Goans in Ukraine are in touch with this office as they are anxious to temporarily return till the situation normalizes.

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Election Commission announces polling dates and counting days for Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 states

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On Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for the Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 States, namely, Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

While briefing the media, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra informed that the elections in the poll-bound States will commence from February 10, 2022, to March 7, 2022. Elections in the State of Uttar Pradesh will be conducted in 7 phases, followed by Manipur with 2 phases. Elections in Goa, Uttarkhand and Punjab will be conducted in a single phase.

According to the Election Commission of India, the votes will be counted on March 10, 2022. ECI informed that all physical campaigning will be ceased until January 15, 2022, in light of the rising cases of Coronavirus.

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