Porvorim: Goa will draft new Standard Operating Procedures to control COVID-19 in the state by Saturday amidst fear of cases rising in the coastal state, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told the House on Friday.
Sawant was responding to the Calling Attention motion moved by Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte raising concern about the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state while the government has failed to implement any Standard Operating Procedures to control the same.
The Opposition benches on Friday cornered Pramod Sawant-led government on the issue of increasing cases of COVID-19 in the state and lack of protocols to control incidents like Beach parties and state approved exhibitions.
Khaunte cornered Sawant and State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane over the issue pointing out that the wrong precedents were being set up leading to panic amongst the people.
The Independent MLA pointed out that 32 staff from an offshore casino who were infected with the COVID-19 were shifted to a building and it was declared as a micro-containment zone, while the offshore casino was allowed to continue with its operation. Khaunte said that the offshore casino should have been declared as a micro-containment zone, which was spreading the virus.
He also observed that the state government has failed to implement any curbs or protocols when the COVID-19 is set to hit the peak in the month of April.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane responding to the allegations agreed to move out all the infected casino staff from the building and de-notify it as a micro-containment zone.
The Health Minister also ruled out making COVID-19 certificates mandatory for the people who are arriving from the infected states of Maharashtra, Karnataka or Kerala claiming that “there is no guarantee that the certificate which they bring along is really genuine.”
He said that the state health authorities will also conduct checking of all the staff working on the offshore casino, while periodical testing of the staff will also be made mandatory.