Goa People’s Forum demands outstation political workers be fully vaccinated before entering Goa

PANAJI: In the light of the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, the Goa People’s Forum (GPF) has requested the Goa Chief Minister’s office (CMO Goa) and the office of the State Election Commission (SEC) to look into the fact that nearly 15,000 political workers from outside Goa who have entered the State for election campaigning activities are fully vaccinated.

The Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) working for the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has brought in nearly 10,000 workers from West Bengal, Hyderabad and other states to Goa for campaigning purpose. The state government and the Office of the State Election Commissioner must ensure that these outstation workers are vaccinated, so that the state health infrastructure is not burdened at the last minute, a spokesperson for the GPF said.

With five populous states going to polls in February/March next year and the looming scare of an unavoidable third Covid wave, fueled by the Omicron variant, which is rapidly spreading in the country, the Centre directed the states going in for elections in the near future to “exponentially ramp up vaccination” — especially in the “low coverage districts” to protect the vulnerable population.

The Union Health Ministry, on Thursday, issued specific instructions to poll-bound states to try and ensure that the entire population is vaccinated before the polls with a view to curb the possible spread of highly transmissible Omicron variant of coronavirus during the upcoming Assembly elections.

According to media reports, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, during a review meeting with states, raised a red flag that pockets with low vaccination coverage may be more vulnerable to the new Omicron variant — and that district administrations have to pay special attention to ramp up vaccination in these pockets, particularly those states which have upcoming elections.

The directions by the Union Health Secretary came hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to hold a review meeting with states in the backdrop of the emergence of the Omicron variant.