Covid-19: Goa sees another single-day high as death toll rises to 18

PANAJI: Goa recorded the worst single-day spike of 170 Covid-19 cases on Tuesday taking the total tally of active cases in the state to 1,128. Since July 8, a total of 850 cases have been reported, the highest increase in infection witnessed in a week.
Goa’s Covid death count went up to 18 after a 52-year-old man from Chicalim succumbed to the disease on Tuesday. The man was admitted to the Covid hospital two weeks ago and had a comorbid condition.
Fifty-six employees of the pharma unit Tulip Diagnostics in the Verna industrial estate tested positive taking the unit’s total case count to 136.
New areas also added to the list as an isolated case each was reported from Colvale and Guirim in North Goa. New areas in Mapusa reported a handful of cases. Nine people in Karaswada tested positive, while five cases were reported from Xelpem, Mapusa.
A health official said that a primary contact in Xelpem was a cleaning staff working for a private company and that all her contacts have been tested, while, in another case, the primary contact was a security guard.
“Those found positive and asymptomatic were transferred to a Covid care centre,” the officer said.
After seven persons tested positive at Ganganagar, the area was sealed to curb the probable spread of the virus in the slum area. However, there was no such decision about other areas in the town that have shown cases since last week.
The cases reported from Vasco were few. New Vaddem reported nine cases and Mangor Hill one. Tuesday’s death was the 12th from the port town.
A spike has been noted in other areas of the State.
Margao, Mapusa, Indiranagar, Ponda and Dharbandora saw a rise in cases. Also, one traveller tested positive.
On Tuesday, 67 patients were declared cured bringing the total recoveries to 1,607.