SANGUEM
Many houses near a beverages plant at Xelpem were declared a micro-containment zone by Collector South Goa Ruchika Katyal after about 40 labourers of the plant tested positive for Covid.
Sanguem had only a few Covid cases in the last two months, but the cases began rising sharply during the Holi celebrations by the labour class, who hail from other states and work in other parts of Sanguem taluka.
Of the 70-odd Covid cases detected by the Sanguem Primary Health Centre as of Thursday, about 40 of them are labourers employed at the beverages plant at Xelpem.
Following directives of the collector notifying the housing area as a micro-containment zone, health officials and the Sanguem police have begun a close watch in the area.
Local health officials also got the affected area sanitised and also directed the labour class not to leave the locality till the situation improves.
A sharp rise in Covid cases among the labour class has caused alarm among residents in Sanguem and they have appealed to authorities to conduct a thorough check of labourers in the taluka to avoid further spread of Covid among locals and in remote villages of the taluka, where labourers proceed to work daily.
