S Goa BJP MLA tests +ve, had met CM, 9 other MLAs last wk

Panaji: A South Goa BJP legislator on Tuesday became the first MLA in the state to test positive for Covid-19. The development raised a few alarms as the MLA, along with nine others who had switched over from Congress to BJP last year, met chief minister Pramod Sawant recently.
“The MLA had a fever,” said a state health official. “He had been admitted to the ESI Covid hospital after he tested positive.”
“He voluntarily went for testing after he came in contact with a person from South Goa who later tested positive.”
Meanwhile, in the CM’s constituency of Sakhali, which has 27 cases so far, the government declared three areas — Desainagar, Bandarwada and Gauthan — as micro-containment zones after Sawant had a meeting with local officials. The town, which saw four more cases on Tuesday, will see all playgrounds and parks within its municipality’s jurisdiction sealed for the next two weeks.
An official said that a special squad would be constituted comprising market inspectors and police personnel to implement social distancing norms and initiate action against offenders.
The state’s active Covid-19 tally dropped to 716 after 64 new cases were detected and 72 patients got cured. The state government has started implementing the new discharge policy for Covid patients. As per this policy, asymptomatic Covid patients are discharged if they don’t display any symptoms of the virus for ten consecutive days. They don’t have to undergo a Covid test before discharge, but are required to observe home quarantine for seven days thereafter.
Symptomatic patients, however, will only be discharged after they’re cured and undergo a Covid test. Earlier, the state declared patients cured after two consecutive Covid tests returned negative results.
Tuesday’s positive cases included two cops attached to the police headquarters in Panaji. Ambelim, in Salcete, also saw a spike in cases with six more, taking its total to 23. Five cases were also reported from Indiranagar in Chimbel, while Sanguem and Pirna in Mapusa saw an isolated case each.