Goa extends COVID curfew, ramps up testing at borders to filter out Delta Plus cases

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Panaji: The Goa government on Saturday announced that the current state-level curfew, which was imposed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be extended till July 5.

The coronavirus-induced curfew, which was first imposed on May 9, has since been extended from time to time considering the number of infections in the coastal state and was set to end on June 28.

Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the Goa government had decided to extend the curfew till 7 am on July 5.

Goa on Saturday recorded 235 new cases of coronavirus and five casualties that took the tally of infections to 1,65,883 and toll to 3,032. The coastal state is now left with 2,604 active cases.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also said testing has been ramped up at the borders of the coastal state as a precaution in view of the detection of the Delta Plus variant of coronavirus in a neighbouring state.

Speaking to reporters at the Keri-Sattari border adjoining Karnataka, Sawant said private laboratories have been roped in to set up testing facilities as a precaution against the fresh strain of coronavirus.