Full lockdown in Goa likely, CM Pramod Sawant to make announcement soon

Panaji: The Goa government has said that it is "positively thinking" about imposing a lockdown and a decision would be taken after consulting stakeholders and the state cabinet in "two to three days".

State’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, while speaking to reporters late Thursday after a virtual meeting with BJP MLAs, said that even if the state government went ahead with a lockdown, grocery stores and shops selling essential goods would continue to remain open.

"Many (MLAs) are of the opinion that we should consider a COVID-19 lockdown. Our restrictions which are in place right now are more severe than the last lockdown. But anyhow, we will consider what everyone said," Sawant said.

"But grocery stores should be open so that people`s basic requirements are taken care of (during lockdown). People should stay at home. The government will think about the lockdown positively and in the next two to three days take a decision after consulting stakeholders and the cabinet."

Sawant`s remarks came after the Bombay High Court earlier on Thursday directed the Goa government to impose restrictions on visitors arriving in the coastal state from May 10.

The court also sought detailed information about the government`s COVID-19 management mechanism, while hearing a bunch of public interest litigations, which among other prayers, have sought a 15-day lockdown in Goa, which on Thursday witnessed a record 3,869 new positive cases and 58 deaths.

Over the last few days, several village panchayats as well as both ruling and opposition MLAs have imposed self-styled lockdowns in their respective jurisdictions in wake of the record number of Covid-19 cases in the state.