Though the COVID-19 lockdown has been extended till the month end, Goa government employees will resume work on April 15.
State government-run Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) buses will be used to ferry those staff requiring public transport. The government has also decided to open out-patient departments (OPDs) of government and private hospitals along with allowing intra-State businesses to operate while maintaining social distancing.
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With just two positive cases, down from seven and just four suspect cases on Sunday, the government is upbeat in its fight against COVID-19.
The Goa government had recommended to the Centre that the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak should continue till April 30. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the State government would resume certain activities and establishments, including government offices, from Monday.
“Fishing has restarted from Saturday. Government offices in Goa will reopen on Monday and they will be fully functional from Wednesday after sanitisation,” he said.
Dr. Sawant, who took part in videoconference of chief ministers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, said the Goa government had requested the Centre not to resume rail and air traffic as well as allow movement of vehicles on roads expect for those carrying goods from other States.
Panels set up
The government on Saturday constituted the Economic Revival Committee and the Expenditure Committee to plan the way forward in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Economic Revival Committee led by the Chief Minister includes representatives from various fields, who will work out measures to revive the struggling State economy.
Along with government offices, all the out-patient departments of primary health centres, community health centres and district hospitals, excluding the Goa Medical College and Hospital will start functioning from Monday.
Dr. Sawant urged people to cooperate with the government and in the three-day door-to-door survey that will be undertaken from April 13. “There is no community transmission in Goa till now. Despite that we need to take all required precautions. The government may consider making wearing of masks mandatory for people on the move compulsory,” he said.
Meanwhile, activist Latoya Fernandes, Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar and Goa Citizens Welfare Trust chairman Michael Fernandes wrote to the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on the COVID-19 community survey terming it ill-advised and inadequately planned. Dattatreya Naik of the Goa Secondary Teachers Association has already approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa seeking a stay on the COVID-19 community survey. This has been posted for hearing on Monday, when the survey takes off.
