Wearing masks compulsory in Goa from April 20

Wearing masks in public places will be made mandatory from April 20, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday, adding that all government offices would also be equipped with thermals guns in a bid to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"After April 20, wearing masks in public places will be mandatory in Goa. People can use home-made masks too," Sawant told a press conference here on Friday.

Sawant also said that nearly 1,000 thermal guns had been procured by the state government which would be distributed to all government offices, which are scheduled to become operational on April 20 with around 50 per cent workforce.

"All industries and offices should also use thermals guns to check the temperatures of the staff as a precautionary measure," Sawant said.

The Chief Minister said that once relaxations of the lockdown are announced by the Central government on April 20, the state government would look to restart some industries and businesses after meeting the requirements of the relaxation norms.

Sawant said that a community survey, which had been commissioned by his government, had reached out to nearly five lakh households and had made a list of around 30,000 persons who were suffering from respiratory illnesses.

"Now that they have been identified, their travel history will be analysed and checks will also be made to see if they had been in touch with a person who has recently travlled to Goa. If that is the case, testing will be conducted," Sawant said.

The Chief Minister also said that the state has seen not seen any Covid-19 positive case since April 3. Currently there is only one positive case in the state who is undergoing treatment, while six others who were quarantined due to the coronavirus infection have tested negative.