With Goa’s port city, Vasco da Gama now having the first component zone and the rising of the number cases overnight has become the subject of major concern and the opposition already started demanding of the sealing down of port city, but the Goa CM had denied the possibility of lockdown saying “Not Needed”.
The local residents of the Vasco city have already started panic buying thinking of the compete lockdown in the city following the spike in coronavirus cases in the containment zone situated at Mongor Hill in Vasco.
According to the reports, CM Pramod Sawant had ruled out the possibility of locking down of the Port City of Goa. Sawant also said that the decision not to impose a lockdown in the major town was taken after assessing all aspects of the outbreak, which has been described as a “local transmission” by the state administration.
“We are going step by step. After assessing the situation, we have come to the conclusion that we do not need to do it (the complete lockdown) right now,” Sawant said when asked if a lockdown would be imposed in the town, which has a South Central railway station as well as a major port.
But CM also did not rule out of the possibility of sealing the port city in the coming future. “Have faith in the administration, if need be we will impose a lockdown for Vasco,” Sawant also said.
It may be recalled that local MLA of Vasco da Gama Mr Carlos Almeida had demanded the complete lockdown of the port city following the sudden spike in the Coronavirus cases in the containment zone situated in the Vasco da Gama.
According to the reports, Speaking to media persons, Almeida said, “I spoke to the Chief Minister, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, health secretary Nila Mohanan and district collector South Ajit Roy seeking a total lockdown in Vasco if there is a spike in COVID-19 positive cases, so as to contain the spread of the virus.”
According to the sources, a huge sample checking task is underway in the Containment zone following the sudden spike of COVID-19 cases. Samples of throat swabs of over 200 people living in Mangor Hill were taken on Tuesday, said the Deputy collector and sub-divisional magistrate of Mormugao, Mr Paresh Faldessai. According to him, everything is under control and there is no need to fear. “Everything is under control and people should not panic. The whole area is now a containment zone,” Faldessai said.
Meanwhile, the Health Secretary of Goa Ms Nila Mohanan told reporters in Panaji that the department will continue collecting the samples till they are satisfied that the sufficient number of people are tested.
