PANJIM: Sixty of the 62 seafarers, who returned to Goa earlier this week, tested negative for COVID-19. However, two sailors are being re-tested for the virus and the reports are awaited.
As per the Union Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines, a batch of 62 crew members from the ship Discovery Marella that had been anchored at Mumbai Port, were transported to the State and quarantined in a hotel in Panjim. The entire batch, was tested for the infection at Mumbai.
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Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said the blood samples of 60 have tested negative for COVID-19. Rane tweeted, “Samples of 62 sailors were tested at the virology lab in GMC. 60 samples were reported negative. Due to a technical snag, two samples will be retested, reports of which are awaited.”
The local administration, including the police and health officials, are ensuring that the 14-day mandatory quarantine period is adhered to by the seafarers. If none test positive, all will later undergo a 14-day home quarantine process, as per the guidelines.
On Friday, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant reiterated that Goans, who are currently stranded in various parts of the country, as well as individual seafarers, would be quarantined at government facilities without any fees or charges, upon their arrival in Goa.
“We have not asked any individual seafarer to make a payment for quarantine facility. The agents cum companies have come forward to make the payment for their seafarers and we have agreed to it,” the Chief Minister said.
Sawant was speaking to media persons after a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar, Deputy Speaker Isidore Fernandes, Minister Felipe Neri Rodrigues and other MLAs.
Sawant clarified that the government has to also pay hotels, which have been taken over as government facilities for quarantine. “So far, only one hotel in Calangute has volunteered to provide service free of cost. In case of other hotels, including residencies, we are paying Rs 2500-Rs 3000 per room per day,” he said.
Responding to a question over return of Goans stranded in foreign countries, the Chief Minister said that the decision would be taken by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
