70% minors have developed sero-immunity in Goa: Official

Seventy per cent minors in Goa have already developed sero-positivity and the coastal state is 90 per cent ready to tackle the third wave, should it strike the state, head of the Goa government's expert committee and dean of the state's apex government hospital Dr. Shivanand Bandekar said on Thursday.

"Our preparation for the third wave is at almost 90 per cent. The paediatric ICU is ready. Right now the situation is static," said Bandekar, the dean of the Goa Medical College.

"As per the statistics available with us, we have seen that seropositivity among the children is already at 70 per cent. That means 70 per cent of children have already got infected and they have been cured. This is a small sample, but it gives you an indication that if the third wave comes at all, it won't be as large as the second wave," he also said.

Commenting on crowds of tourists at beaches, casinos and public areas who violate the standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid down by the state government, Bandekar said that the people visiting the state should act responsibly.

"SOPs are there in place, they should not crowd, they should wear a mask. All that is there... They should follow it, for their own good," Bandekar said.

"We are going to keep a check on the positivity rate. If the positivity rate rises, we will take stringent steps to stop all those (tourism-related) activities," the top official also said, adding that there was a need to strike a balance between Covid-related precautions and economic activity.

"Living with Covid is now becoming more and more practical. We will keep an eye. As chairman of the (government's) expert committee, I will be keeping an eye myself, plus I will be analysing statistics every week from our epidemiologist," Bandekar said.