First case of community transmission reported in Goa: Health Minister

Panaji, June 1 (IANS) Goa reported its first instance of community transmission on Monday, with five persons from a family based in South Goa’s Vasco town, including two minor boys and a pregnant woman, as well as the family’s physician testing positive for Covid-19.

Speaking to reporters Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said, that the area in which the family resided, needed to be treated as a containment zone.

“There is local transmission in Goa (now). I feel it is necessary to declare this as a containment zone,” Rane said, adding that efforts were being made to reach out to people who were in contact of the family as well as the doctor.

Rane also said, that the first person to test positive from the family had travelled outside the state on fish procurement business. The infection was passed on to the rest of the family members.

“He was a fisherman who used to bring fish from outside the state. We are tracking this. Since even the doctor is positive, we have to track everything and cordon off the area. For about 14 days, we will be testing persons from the area,” Rane said.

Rane also said, that a spurt in community transmission could create load on the state’s health infrastructure.

“It is a case of local transmission. Across the country too there is community transmission. Goa can’t be isolated,” the Health Minister said.

“There will be a load on our facilities. We will take steps. This is our first instance (of community transmission). It is my view that containment zone have to be created. And if there are more cases the containment zone will have to expanded,” he said.

With the new spurt in cases, Goa’s tally of active Covid-19 patients in 32.

–IANS

maya/kr