PANAJI: Days after a maskless Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate took to the streets of the capital to celebrate his panel’s victory in the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) polls, he tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday.
Monserrate, who has chosen to be home-isolated, has appealed to those who came in contact with him to get tested immediately. This includes the newly-elected CCP corporators and also legislators, since the assembly was in session.
In the aftermath of his poll victory, Monserrate was pictured greeting and hugging his supporters on the streets of Panaji, with very few wearing masks, and none observing physical distancing.
The capital has seen a speedy rise in Covid-19 infections over the past ten days, and has the highest (155) caseload as on Friday. Municipal polls, including election to the CCP, were held on March 20.
Monserrate met the newly-elected corporators of the BJP-supported panel at a city hotel two days ago, a source said. “We were about 35, including the newly-elected corporators,” said one of them who was present at the meeting.
He said that the members would now have to undergo Covid-19 tests, and that the election of the mayor, which is slated for Tuesday, may have to be deferred if corporators test positive.
On Friday, Goa reported 113 new cases of Covid-19, 111 recoveries and one death, that pushed the tally of active cases to 1,279. The case positivity rate was 5.3% with 2,123 swab tests done, and the recovery rate stands at 96.3%.
A health official said that besides Panaji and Margao, they are concerned about a steady rise in new infections in Candolim, Vasco, Cortalim, Cansaulim and Ponda over the past few days.