Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Wednesday announced night curfew from 10pm and 6am from Wednesday till April 30 along with several other restrictions in the State. Section 144 of the CrPC has also been imposed.
Polling and counting of five municipal elections will continue as scheduled by following COVID appropriate behaviour.
The announcements were made following the CM’s meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, and after chairing a high-level meeting with the Directorate of Health Services and disaster management team and video-conferencing with all MLAs.
The CM also announced that the Health Department and District Administration had identified emerging hot spots where there is a high concentration of COVID cases. Stating that these are mostly in the coastal belt, he said micro containment zones will be notified. He added that stores providing essential services will be allowed here, while more such zones will be notified regularly depending on the data.
While making it clear that no lockdown will be imposed, Sawant urged the public not to panic and rush to buy groceries.
Regarding night curfew, Sawant said that people will not be allowed on the streets during those hours. While services like petrol pumps and pharmacies will be allowed to be open at this time, establishments like casinos and restaurants will also continue to run as long as all the activity remains indoors.
Furthermore, all inter-State vehicles transporting essential goods will be allowed to ply during the night curfew.
Sawant said these decisions were taken in view of the alarming rise of cases that have crossed the figure of 1,000 a day and the high number of deaths in a single day.
Section 144 has also been imposed thereby prohibiting a gathering of five or more persons in public places.
As part of other restrictions during the day, casinos, bars and restaurants, river cruises, water park, entertainment park, theatres, gyms, parlours will run with 50 per cent capacity. Buses will also run at 50 per cent capacity and additional KTC buses will be pressed into service.
All religious institutions like temples, mosques and masjids won’t be allowed to have mass gatherings but can have their ceremonies and rituals with their respective custodians only. He encouraged the use of online streaming for the same.
While only 50 people can attend wedding functions in halls after obtaining prior permissions; for funerals and cremations, Sawant said no permissions are required but that no more than 20 people can be present.
Places like swimming pools will be shut until further notice while all political, social, academic, cultural and any other congregations won’t be allowed.
“I request the youngsters to cancel all their sports tournaments. All large gatherings should be avoided,” Sawant said.
While stating that the Health Minister personally monitors cases, Sawant urged the people not to venture out of their houses unless it is necessary.
He advised all non-government employers/establishments to actively plan for and promote work from home for their employees. He also said industries like manufacturing and pharmaceutical companies as well as other economic activity will not be halted.
The State government will take a decision on asking for COVID negative certificates from travellers. Sawant defended this move pointing out that it could affect inter-State movement of goods and claimed that the number of visitors coming to Goa had anyways dropped.
Later in the day, the State government issued an inter-office memorandum that is to be followed strictly by all personnel of government departments, semi-government organisations, autonomous bodies and any other aided institution under the government of Goa.
Sawant also hit out at the Maharashtra government, asking them to remove Goa from the list of ‘places of sensitive origin’. He said in reality, people from Maharashtra are visiting Goa in large numbers and not the other way round.
