Don't travel to flu-hit areas, says Goa govt advisory

Don't travel to flu-hit areas, says Goa govt advisory

People also asked to avoid Crowded places in First such advisory.

Panaji/ Margao: In an unprecendented move, the Goa government on Thursday issued an advisory to asking citizens " not to undertake non essential/ travel as far as possible to H1N1 affected states". The advisory released as an advertisement in newspapers , is signed by the director, directorate of health services, Rajnanda Desai.

Speaking to TOI Desai said, " We have also advised people to avoid crowded places." She said tht due to the weekend holidays for Independence day and Ganesh Chaturthi , a number of tourists would be entering the state and flocking Ganesh Mandals, which the directorate was advising against.

"Mandals may get crowded and it would be difficult to curb the spread of the virus," said Desai.

The only state so far to ask it citizens not to travel to flu-hit areas has been Tamil Nadu, when a minister recently asked people not to travel to Maharashtra , leading to a controversy with the Maharashtra health minister questioning the one state's advisory against another and saying that if at all such a directive is needed to be issued, it should have come from the Centre. The Tamil Nadu minister later went on the defensive and claimed that all he said was that people should be careful while travelling in those areas.

Meanwhile, panic is leading to long ques at Chicalim Cottage hospital with 50-60 turning up for tests daily. This has forced the government to post two rapid response teams, comprising an epidemologist and microbiologist each, at the hospital. "People are scared. Many who do not have swine flu symptoms get upset when we do not collect their swab samples. Others get irritated but we counsel them and they understand," said health officials.

14 August, 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition