PremiumAmid attempts to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 in the state, the Goa government on Sunday extended the ongoing restrictions till 16 August.
The curfew was supposed to end on August 9 as per the previous order. In the order issued on Sunday, the state administration said that the curfew will continue to remain in force till 7 am on August 16. A detailed order, however, is awaited.
The state government had earlier opened a majority of activities in the state with several curbs in place, but casinos are yet to be opened. The state has been reporting around a hundred COVID-19 cases everyday over the last few days.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Goa reached 1,71,883 on Sunday with the addition of 69 cases, while the day also saw one death, which took the toll to 3,160, officials said.
Meanwhile, Goa opened up to tourists while following Covid protocols. As per the order, tourists are allowed to enter the state only if they are full vaccinated or carrying a negative RT-PCR report.
Visiting the state, known for its beautiful beaches and natural scenarios, one tourist told news agency ANI, "Goa govt is very alert. They are asking for masks everywhere and aren't allowing anyone to enter without negative RTPCR report."
Earlier, chief minister Pramod Sawant also added that new SOPs for travellers, mandating negative RT-PCR test results or full vaccination will be laid down in view of upcoming festivals.
baGoa Airport Director Gagan Malik expressed tghat reopening Goa for tourists was a "good sign," adding, "Aviation industry has suffered huge losses (due to COVID). In Goa, we had an average of 77 flight operations per day, which stands at 30 now. All airlines barring one have restarted their operations."
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