Panjim: The Panjim municipal market to go under complete lockdown for four days from Friday after a person selling liquor at a tavern in the market premise was found positive for COVID-19. The person is currently absconding.
Also, a lady vegetable vendor from Market, residing in Chimbel has been tested for being one of the suspects, after three from her family tested positive on Thursday.
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The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has decided to sanitise the entire market complex and to undertake swab testing of 61 workers and vendors, hailing from Chimbel area. The workers have been granted seven-days leave.
Addressing media persons, City Mayor Uday Madkaikar said that voluntary decision has been taken to shut down the market, including the fish and meat market, from Friday till Monday, in the interest of public. Also, he said that they have asked municipal staffers from Vasco, not to come till the situation normalizes.
“The person, with travel history, had opened his tavern on pretext of undertaking cleanliness work. However, he sold liquor to many including some CCP workers. After receiving the message from health department of being positive, he is absconding,” Madkaikar said.
He said that police are currently tracing the whereabouts of the absconding COVID patient.
Mayor further informed that a vegetable vendor from the market is amongst those from Chimbel, whose swab samples have been collected as a suspect, after three from their family tested positive.
“Nearly 60 percent of market vendors are from Chimbel. The Commissioner has asked theHealth department to conduct their tests too. We don’t want to take any risk with public health,” he said.
Madkaikar said that the decision has been taken to prevent spread of virus.
He added that the 61 workers, from Chimbel are now on off-duty for seven days pending their swab testing and those results.
