As Covid-19 count rises, Goa CM consults Opposition on new SOPs

Panaji, June 8 (IANS) As active Covid-19 cases in Goa reached 263, with 30 more cases reported on Monday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant called an all-party meeting to seek inputs to frame new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for persons entering the state.

According to latest statistics provided by the state Health Department, out of the new Covid-19 cases reported on Monday, 28 were identified in the containment zone at Mangor hill in South Goa, which accounts for a bulk of Goa’s total active cases.

According to Health Secretary Nila Mohanan, most of the persons found positive are in the age groups of 20-40 years and that in all 13 Health Department workers, most of whom have been working in the state’s only containment zone, have been found positive so far.

Earlier, after emerging from an all party meeting called by the Chief Minister at his official residence, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat told reporters that Sawant had sought inputs from the Opposition MLAs for the new SOPs which the state government is likely to adopt in view of the sudden spike in Covid-19 cases over the last one week.

“We raised some important issues which includes not charging returning Goans for quarantine and test facilities, which the CM has promised to consider positively,” he said.

“We have also demanded a financial package for vulnerable sections of society, who have been without any income for nearly two months. Our third key demand was that swab tests should be made mandatory for anyone entering the state,” Kamat added.

Earlier on Monday, Ports Minister Michael Lobo said that the state government may drop swab testing as a mandatory norm for entering the state and instead only insist on thermal scanning.

–IANS

maya/vd