Team Herald
PANJIM/Ponda: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Friday stated that the ongoing State-level curfew that was to end at 7 am on June 28 will be further extended by a few days.
Sawant, speaking to media persons after attending a BJP function in Panjim, when asked by how many days the curfew will be extended, replied saying that the same will be revealed in due course of time when the formal order is issued. Till date, the government has extended the curfew by a week’s time consecutively, albeit with some new relaxations.
The CM also commented on how government hospitals, except the super specialty block at Goa Medical College (GMC) and the South Goa District Hospital (SGDH) have been de-notified as COVID hospitals. He attributed this to the presence of a large number of vacant hospital beds and the gradual decrease of COVID cases in Goa. He, however, added that such hospitals can be notified again if a need arises.
On this note, he announced that regular Outpatient Departments (OPD) will resume. He said this is necessary in the interest of the public as the monsoon season has already started. He said all OPDs, as well as other activities, will go back to how they were earlier at the de-notified hospitals.
Further, he said all the patients at the de-notified hospitals were being shifted to GMC and SGDH.
The CM also reiterated that the State government is monitoring the spread of the Delta Plus variant given the big threat the Covid infection poses. He expressed concern about the presence of such cases in Sindhudurg district of South Maharashtra and added that the State has increased screening and surveillance of the border Goa shares with Sindhudurg. The government has also given permission to set up a private laboratory at the border. He added that any ‘suspects’ entering Goa will be placed directly in isolation.
Meanwhile, the Ponda Sub-District Hospital will be fully operational with Outdoor Patients Departments (OPDs) for general public from Monday.
It may be recalled that one floor of sub-district hospital was converted into COVID facility from April during the second wave which had affected the patients in need of emergency.
The doctors informed that the hospital has been de-notified as COVID hospital and that the few COVID patients from sub-district hospital would soon be shifted to South Goa District Hospital. “It would take two days time to fumigate the premises and will be opened and fully operational from Monday for general public”, they said.
