COVID-19 lockdown in Goa till Monday morning; essential services allowed
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday announced a brief state-wide lockdown to limit the spread of COVID-19. Sawant said that the lockdown will remain in force until Monday morning, adding that people should not panic. The state, a popular tourist spot, has seen a sharp rise in the number of infections over the past few weeks. Here are more details.
Casinos, bars shut; restaurants allowed home deliveries
Sawant said Goa will impose a lockdown from Thursday night till early Monday morning. All grocery stores and essential services will be allowed to operate. Casinos and bars will remain shut. Restaurants will only be allowed to operate their kitchens for home deliveries. Tourists will not be allowed to step out of the hotels. Detailed guidelines will be issued later in the day.
Urge migrant laborers not to leave Goa: Sawant
"People should not panic...I also urge migrant laborers not to leave the state," the CM said, "If people do not step out for the next four days we will be successful in breaking the chain of this surge."
'Symptomatic persons should seek immediate treatment, not wait for tests'
The turnaround time for RT-PCR tests will now be 24 hours, Sawant said. Those exhibiting symptoms should start treatment immediately and not wait for their test results, he said, adding that there was no oxygen shortage in Goa. The government will cover a significant amount of treatment expenditure for eligible COVID-19 patients at private hospitals under the Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva (DDSSY) insurance scheme.
Several localities will be declared containment zones: Sawant
The state government has also announced that several localities will be declared containment zones. Earlier in the day, Sawant held a meeting with panchayat members, including those from Calangute and Candolim that have been declared containment zones.
How bad is the outbreak in Goa?
Goa reported 2,110 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the third consecutive day that infections remained over 2,000. On Monday, the state had reported a record 2,321 new cases. 31 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 1,086. The cumulative tally has risen to 81,908, out of which, 16,591 cases include active infections and 64,231 patients have recovered.
