Lockdown 4.0 detailed guidelines for Goa today: CM

NT NETWORK

Panaji

Following direction from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Goa government has decided to extend the lockdown till May 31 in the state.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said the detailed guidelines of lockdown 4.0 for the state will be released on May 18. He also hinted at further relaxations with regard to economic activities in the state.

Sawant claimed that almost 90 per cent of the people who have arrived in the state by trains are proper residents of Goa. “368 people came to the state via Rajdhani Express on Sunday. From the next week, this Rajdhani Express train will not stop at the Margao railway station. However, the Nizamuddin Express train will continue to make a halt in Goa,” he said.

The Chief Minister advised Goans to be alert instead of getting scared of non-Goans arriving in the state. “Even if the number of cases increases, Goans should not get scared, as everyone coming from outside is tested in Goa. Even truck drivers coming from COVID red zones are being screened. Further, we are putting a system in place for testing of truck drivers coming from red zone districts,” he said.

With the number of COVID positive cases rising steadily in Goa, the state government is contemplating setting up one more COVID hospital. “We can think of one more COVID hospital,” Sawant said. He said all 17 positive patients with the exception of two are asymptomatic.   Sawant expressed confidence that all of them will recover.

The Chief Minister further said Goans should not fear, as our strategy is different from the other states. “I have spoken to Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah on people coming from outside. All patients in Goa are imported patients,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said that the Goa Board exams will be held as per the schedule. “The students and parents should not be scared, as all requisite arrangements will be made to ensure safe conduct of the exams. Exam centres are there in every village panchayat area,” Sawant said.