Goa extends COVID-19 curfew to curb spread of Coronavirus

Panaji: The Goa state government on Saturday (May 29) announced that it has extended the ongoing COVID-related curfew till June 7.

"Government of Goa has decided to extend the curfew till 7 am of 7th June 2021. The orders regarding the same shall be issued by respective District Collectors," the Goa Chief Minister’s Office tweeted.

On May 17, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had announced a state level curfew in Goa from May 9 to May 23, amid a steep surge in COVID-19 cases in the state. The curfew was later extended to May 31.

Stores selling essential items, grocery shops, liquor stores are allowed to stay open from 7 am to 1 pm during the period of the curfew, while medical stores and restaurant kitchens are allowed to function from 7 am to 7 pm during the curfew period.

Goa currently has 15,326 active cases, while 2,570 persons have died due to COVID-19 related complications since the outbreak of the pandemic.

A total of five lakh anti-COVID vaccine doses have been administered to the people in Goa so far, with the state government saying that the 'Tika Utsav' has helped it in reaching out to the beneficiaries, especially in the rural parts.

Goa, which has a population of 16 lakh, has witnessed a spike in COVID-19 cases over the last one month.

In all, 1,53,456 persons have tested positive in Goa.