Industry temporarily stops bringing in stranded workers

Panaji: With the state facing a shortage of quarantine facilities to isolate individuals for COVID-19 testing, Goan industry has temporarily stopped bringing in industrial workers from outside.

Speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’ on Monday, Damodar Kotchkar, president of Goa Small Industries Association (GSIA) said that the process of bringing in stranded industrial workers from across the borders has been stopped for the time being due to lack of quarantine centres at the disposal of companies.

So far over 900 industrial workers and staff of Goan companies have arrived in the state, of which the return of 550 workers was coordinated by the GSIA and the remaining by the Goa Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (GPMA).

Kotchar said that the workers are being housed in quarantine for at least two days, which is the time taken for COVID-19 testing.

It may be mentioned that the government had on May 7 permitted local units to bring in their stranded workers from across the border by abiding by the standard operation protocol (SOP). The responsibility for bringing in workers was assigned to GSIA and GPMA.

As per the SOP, the industry must identify the quarantine facility and give an undertaking that the employees they propose to move to Goa are “healthy and comply with all MHA guidelines.”

Further each staff entering the state has to give an undertaking that he is within home premises for 14 days and not in contact with any individual who has influenza-like symptoms.  It is also necessary for the staff to register on the Aarogya Setu app. The cost of quarantine is being borne by the employing unit.

There are estimated 5,000 staff and workers of local units who live in border areas of neighbouring states and who are stranded due to the ongoing lockdown.