Night curfew imposed, schools closed in Goa amid massive COVID-19 surge

After Delhi and Maharashtra, a massive surge in the COVID-19 cases has been witnessed in the state of Goa after the New Year celebrations witnessed in several areas of the state. As of now, there are a total of 1,671 active COVID-19 cases.

According to state officials, the positivity rate in the state has increased significantly since the New Year celebrations. The current positivity rate of COVID-19 infections in the state stands at 10.7 percent, which has raised concern among the authorities.

In view of the sudden rise in infections, the Goa government has decided to impose a night curfew in the state. The order regarding the night curfew will be issued shortly, an official said, and the timings for the same will most likely be 10 pm to 6 am.

The state government has also decided to shut down schools and colleges in the state due to the rise in COVID-19 cases. According to the latest guidelines, the schools and colleges in the state have been shut till January 26 to get the COVID-19 cases under control.

Officials have said that the huge influx of tourists travelling to Goa this year for Christmas and New Year celebrations has pushed up the positivity rate of infections in the state. Thousands of tourists had travelled to Goa in late December, as per media reports.

Many Twitter users posted photos and videos of popular beaches and pubs in Goa on New Year’s Eve, where people could be seen openly flouting social distancing norms and gathering in huge crowds without masks.

According to PTI reports, an official said that though the number of COVID-19 cases in the state was high, the deaths and hospitalisation rate were low. On Sunday, Goa reported 388 new COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally in the state to 1,81,570, while one death raised the toll to 3,523, as per official data.

(With PTI inputs)