Spike in Margao hits Chaturthi biz

Margao: Margao and surrounding areas have been witnessing a rapid rise in Covid-19 cases over the past week, which has caused panic among residents, hitting the pre-Ganesh Chaturthi business.

Areas under the jurisdiction of the Margao urban health centre saw the highest spike in Covid cases on Sunday with 49 new detections.

Shopkeepers in the new market and Gandhi market said they have been seeing unprecedented low volume of sales over the past 10 days. “This is the time we normally see a large number of customers making purchases ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi. This time the festival purchases have yet to begin,” a trader from the new municipal market said.

Echoing similar observation, a trader from Gandhi market said, “People are in no mood to make purchases.”

Meanwhile, as a staff tested positive, the ESI dispensary Margao will remain closed on August 10 and 11 for patients “as a precautionary measure”, it was informed. The dispensary will be sanitised on Monday.