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May was Goa’s deadliest Covid month, with average of 48 deaths a day | Goa News – Times of India

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PANAJI: With 1,481 deaths, May has not only been the state’s deadliest month since Covid-19 struck, it also recorded more fatalities than the rest of the months put together.
The month began with more than 100 deaths every two days, and with the Goa association of resident doctors flagging the issue of oxygen shortage at Goa Medical College (GMC).
The grim daily death count reached an all-time high of 75 on May 11, and began to decline slowly only after the high court ensured that systems were put in place for uninterrupted oxygen supply to GMC, and that critical patients were not left waiting while their oxygen arrived on agricultural tractors. Until this time, the government denied any shortage, and it even took seven more days for it to announce a statewide curfew even after neighbouring states had already announced lockdowns.
Only on the high court’s direction did the state reluctantly and belatedly close its borders for those without a Covid-negative certificate, but continued to seek relaxations, which were turned down by the high court. All this while, Goa was battling a “very very contagious” mutant strain, and the case positivity rate was more than 50%.
The government was questioned by the high court about why it couldn’t solve the oxygen issue despite a cabinet, IAS officers, technicians and others. “After the high court’s intervention, things have gotten better. Everything has been streamlined. The government was made accountable and they also realised the need for a lockdown,” a GMC doctor said.
Bicholim-based activist Ramesh Gauns said that it’s a tragedy that hundreds of youngsters lost their lives thanks to the government’s mismanagement due to the chief minister and health minister not seeing eye to eye.
The state wouldn’t have been hit so badly if the government had got its act together on time, he says. “The government should have sought help from expert researchers and prepared for this wave, but instead, the chief minister and health minister were playing political games, and the people of Goa suffered.” He also highlighted the poor implementation of restrictions during the current state-wide curfew.
When the state had no solutions, it should have sought help, citizens say.
Activist and parish priest of Chicalim, Fr Bolmax Pereira, also attributes Goa being hit badly to the state’s administrative failure.
“It’s sad that many local bodies had to declare their own preventive measures of imposing lockdowns without the express directions of the government that seemed to have its priorities misplaced,” he said. “The present government dispensation utterly failed in its responsibility. For reasons best known (to them), health decisions came from a one-man army, and we saw the differences between the CM and health minister go public, which was ridiculous.”
The South Goa advocates’ association’s plea for an inquiry to be conducted into the deaths due to the oxygen shortage at GMC, and for compensation to be paid to their families, is being vociferously opposed by the state government.



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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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