CM Uddhav asks district officials to try Goa's model against COVID; even as cases return

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said district borders will not be reopened when the lockdown for the coronavirus outbreak is relaxed and asked district collectors to prepare a roadmap for the situation post-May 17 when it is scheduled to end.

'We have to be careful'

In a video conference with district officials, Thackeray said some districts can opt for Coronavirus-free Goa model to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, according to media reports. The Maharashtra Chief Minister asked them to conduct a door-to-door survey to not only check people for coronavirus symptoms but also monsoon-related diseases. 

Thackeray told the district collectors to ensure private doctors resume practice. "Since the movement of migrant workers is on, we have to be careful that the virus does not spread further," he said and told them to enforce norms strictly in containment zones.

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The CM said precaution must be taken so that the virus does not spread in areas where industrial activities have resumed. Referring to the resumption of the train services with ticketed passengers, and service on its way to Mumbai from Delhi currently, he said the railways have been asked to provide details of people arriving in the country's financial capital.

Meanwhile, samples of seven suspected COVID-19 patients in Goa have tested positive for the disease, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Thursday. Goa was earlier declared a green zone by the Union government as there was not a single active COVID-19 case since May 1.

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However, the results of samples of seven suspects, tested at the virology lab of the state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital, have come out positive for the disease, Rane said. The seven patients include five members of a family of Goan origin and their driver who had travelled to the coastal state from Mumbai, a senior health department official said.

Maharashtra on Wednesday reported 1,495 new COVID-19 cases, which is the highest single-day count so far, and 54 deaths, including 40 in worst-hit Mumbai.

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