Panjim: The State government has said it has been continuously making efforts to bring back citizens stranded at different places to Goa and to send stranded persons in Goa to their respective States.
A day after facing flak for the alleged laxity in checking at the State border checkposts, the govt clarified that the checking is being conducted round the clock at the check posts.
“The State border is guarded 24 hours a day, in order to keep the State safe from coronavirus. At the checkposts, the health department personnel along with the police personnel posted at border play a vital role in conducting in-depth screening of those entering and leaving Goa,” said the release issued by the department of Information.
It says every precaution is taken at the border check post to ensure that no individual enter the State without undergoing the mandated screening for coronavirus symptoms including entering the details in the system.
“Every person and vehicle entering and leaving the State is registered by the police and revenue department staff and the tests for COVID-19 are conducted by the officials of the health dept staff and 108 emergency services,” it states.
Thermal screening
Citizens registered on the website provided by the govt are allowed to enter the State only after checking their body temperature by thermal screening device. The person is then again taken to the nearest quarantine centre established by the govt, which is nearby to the place of residence of the person and re-tested using thermal screening and if no symptoms are found during such testing, then they are advised to be home quarantine at their own residence and due care is taken to ensure compliance of the same, the release explains.
“If the body temperature of a person is found to be 99 degree Fahrenheit and above in the thermal screening test at the border, then oral swab test is carried out in the smart kiosk system provided at the check post and the test is forwarded for report and further procedures are undertaken accordingly,” itment added.
Recording all data
Also, the govt says all these facilities are made available in a special pavilion set up at the border and those entering the State are lined up maintaining proper social distancing.
It added, ““The software data entry team records all the details in a computerized system. The health dept officials perform thermal screening as well as oral swab test, if required, and then further action is initiated. A Gazetted Officer is posted as the Executive Magistrate at the border for every 12 hours duty and all the formalities are carried out under his supervision. Similarly, the Deputy Collector of the concerned taluka oversees all the arrangements. Excise, Transport and FDA officials, discharge their duties in an efficient manner.”
About 200 vehicles pass through each border in a day and it is ensured that every vehicle is thoroughly checked as per the protocol of MHA guidelines, the govt states.
“Overall, the govt is doing its best to ensure that coronavirus does not inadvertently enter the State and it would not be wrong to call them COVID guards at the border,” it says.
