Panaji: Goa government is contemplating to make COVID-19 negative certificate compulsory for those fly in from the neighbouring states with huge number of infection.
State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane told reporters on Monday that the Experts Committee of Health Department recommended that the COVID-19 negative certificate should be made mandatory to the fliers, arriving from the neighbouring states like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala.
The minister said that he would put up the proposal before the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in next couple of days, leaving it to him to take the decision on the matter.
Speaking about the people arriving from neighbouring state, Rane pointed out that although Goa has less number of COVID-19 positive cases, the neighbouring Maharashtra insists that people coming from here to their state should carry covid negative certificate.
“In fact, we should have been putting up with a rule mandating for the covid negative certificate,” he said.
We are witnessing that COVID-19 cases are slowly rising in the state and it is a time that we should take necessary precaution, Rane said, adding that the state government is contemplating to put restriction on number of persons in places like Restaurant or wedding ceremonies.
“The wedding ceremonies have become a point for spread of COVID-19 in the state. People are not taking the precaution. We are toying up with the idea of putting up restriction on the number of people attending the weddings,” he said.
The minister also said that the state government will increase the testing capacity in its hospitals so that everyone who is suspected to be infected can be tested.
He said that the state will achieve a target of 2,500 tests every day, which are mandated as per the central government guidelines.
Rane said that the senior citizens should get vaccinated so that there is control on the mortality rate.
