Before the rest of the country felt the first tremors of a lockdown, Goa had started proactively clamping down its borders. Unofficial notifications trickled down WhatsApp channels, asking for cautious movement in and out of the state. Janata curfew on the lazy Sunday of March 22 was marked with the clanking of a few pots and pans around the quaint villages. What followed was sheer chaos.

That night, a seemingly cautious Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant, extended the lockdown for another three days through an order circulated on WhatsApp (followed by a press conference the next day), through which everyone waited for shops to reopen. The lockdown announcement came down hard on those who hadn't been out in four-five days, scrambling until 2 am to buy whatever was available. Wholesalers and suppliers stocked and sold, retailers hoarded and citizens scrambled. The week comprised incongruous notifications from the CMO. From a complete lockdown, to a non-starter home delivery system, succumbing to "public pressure" and reopening shops, to finally CRPF troops threatening errant residents looking for food. The state was driven to panic buying and hoarding in spite of there being no actual shortage. And soon, MLAs were instructed to coordinate with the panchayats to establish a supply system.