The Goa government has made it mandatory for all those stranded people returning to the state amid the easing of nationwide lockdown restrictions, which were imposed in end-March to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, will have to undergo swab sample tests and has withdrawn the option of being quarantined at home following a public uproar.
On Wednesday, chief minister Pramod Sawant briefed media persons after a meeting of the state cabinet that a decision to this effect was taken after it was found that only a less-than-expected number of people have returned to Goa since the resumption of domestic flight services from Monday. The domestic flight services were suspended on March 25 after the nationwide lockdown restrictions were enforced.
“We discussed the SOPs (standard operating protocols) and have decided to make some changes to them. Earlier, the returnees were given three options: either produce a Covid-19 free certificate from a registered ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) laboratory that’s issued 48 hours prior to their arrival; to undergo a swab sample test on arrival or be quarantined at home under our watch. The third option has been withdrawn with immediate effect,” the CM said.
“Now, any person returning to Goa has to either produce the Covid-19 certificate or take the test,” Sawant said.
The CM pointed out that initially, the home quarantine facility was offered because the state authorities were anticipating a daily influx of 4,000 people, including 2,000 by air. So far, 200 people have arrived by air on the first two days — on Monday and Tuesday – since the resumption of domestic flight services.
“At present, around 1,000 people are returning to Goa daily, including by road and rail. We’ ve the capacity to conduct 1,000 tests per day, and the results are being made available the following day. However, if we’re looking at 4,000 returnees a day, it’d take at least four days for their results to be made available. If the load increases, then there’ll be a rethink on the strategy,” the CM said,
Earlier, around 50% of the air passengers opted against taking the test. Of the 94 passengers, who arrived in Goa via the three flights, including two from Delhi and one from Bengaluru, which landed on Monday, 50 chose to undergo the test at a cost of Rs 2,000 each and all of them tested Covid-19 negative.
For air travellers, the throat swab samples are being collected at the airport and they are allowed to proceed home. The results are communicated to them via a text message within 24 hours. The air passengers have been advised to maintain self-isolation until the results are made available to them.
Rail passengers are ferried to test centres by buses and those arriving by buses are escorted to these facilities before they are allowed to leave. If any returnee tests positive via a TrueNat test, the traditional real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test is carried out for confirmation.
Sawant also announced that there would be no need for a separate SOP for those arriving in Goa from Maharashtra, which has reported the maximum number of Covid-19 positive cases and deaths in the country so far.
On Tuesday, the CM, however, had insisted on a separate set of guidelines for returnees from Maharashtra, citing that 90% of new Covid-19 positive cases have been reported from those coming back from the neighbouring state.
Opposition lawmakers have criticised the state government’s move to make the Covid-19 screening optional.
“Unless the returnees are screened properly, Covid-19 positive cases are bound to increase. We’ve been urging the government to ramp up its surveillance mechanism. We must not take any chance against the viral outbreak,” said Digambar Kamat, leader of the opposition.
Goa has recorded 67 Covid-19 positive cases, of which 28 patients have recovered to date.
