JOIN USGoa records biggest COVID-19 jump with 40 new cases in one day
Goa recorded its biggest jump in COVID-19 cases, with 40 persons testing positive in South Goa's Mangor hill area in a day, even as Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday continued to insist, that the nature of transmission was purely local in nature and the spike could be described as community transmission.
The record jump saw the state's tally of active COVID-19 cases to 62. Sawant also said, that in view of the sudden increase in cases, the Goa government would take a call on re-opening of places of religious worship in the state for public access.
"Out of the 200 persons tested at Mangor hill, 40 have tested positive today. The area has been declared as a containment zone. We have nearly tested the inner circle where the first cases were found and are now fanning out," Sawant said.
The first two cases of COVID-19 in Mangor hill were detected on Monday, with two persons from a family testing positive. On Tuesday, three more persons from the same family tested positive, along with one person who was in touch with them.
Sawant claims, that the family was hiding details as to how they contracted the infection, when nearly all the active COVID-19 cases in Goa, involved persons who had a history of immediate travel outside the state.
"The family is trying to hide something. We suspect a couple of reasons why the transmission occurred there. Either somebody from outside came in contact with them or someone from their family returned home from outside the state," the Chief Minister said.
Sawant also said, that the spike in cases at Mangor hill was still a local transmission and added that contact lists of all persons who had tested positive for Covid-19 was being prepared.
"There is local transmission in one area, so we have converted that area into a containment zone. We are trying to get in touch with persons, who people from the containment zone may have met. Our next strategy depends on the test results of these contacts," Sawant said.
The Chief Minister also said, that no date had been finalised yet for opening of educational institutes in the state, in wake of the pandemic and added that the Goa government would soon decide on opening up religious institutions.
"Currently, it is a local transmission, but if the transmission spills outside the area, then the government will take a decision taking the factor into account," Sawant said, when asked about when places of religious worship were likely to be opened in the state for public access.