PANAJI
The decision of the state government to reopen borders and allow free movement without a Covid-19 test or quarantine has evoked mixed response in the state which on one hand needs tourists to return for the sake of the economy but on the other continues to reel under the burden of the virus.
Late Monday evening Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that people would be allowed in the state “without needing test” which he said was as per the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines.
While no notification was issued withdrawing the previous SOPs, the Goa airport too announced that in response to the CM's announcement “restrictions on interstate travel have been removed.”
“No more requirements of Covid19 -ve report and no more test requirements for domestic travellers,” the Airports Authority of India, said in a tweet.
The state’s tourism industry which reopened more than a month ago, but witnessed only a few footfalls, had blamed the restrictions and quarantine protocols for the low number of arrivals. The closure of bars, with cheap alcohol being a big draw of tourists, was also one of the reasons.
“We are hopeful that with the relaxation, things will improve in Goa. Tourists may not come immediately, but at least they can plan a holiday later this year,” Michael Carrasco, President of the All Goa Bar and Restaurant Owners Association, said.
The association had petitioned the government to allow the reopening of bars, saying that the decision not to allow the sale of alcohol inside the premises was affecting the restaurant business.
In an order issued on Tuesday, the Commissioner of Excise allowed all “valid licence holders whose licences are not otherwise suspended and are already renewed for this financial year are permitted to commence the sale of liquor for consumption on premises except in containment zones."
The order however has mandated that the owners will have to make mandatory arrangements for social-distancing between workers, adequate gaps between shifts, staggering lunch breaks of staff, etc.
However, the decision to reopen has met with resistance from some quarters.
“The CM has thrown open the borders to everyone, with no testing required. He says this is as per MHA guidelines. But MHA guidelines have only removed the requirement of an e-pass, and the guidelines dated 29/08/20 expressly state that movement of people is still to be regulated as per SOPs in place. Goa’s last SOP required either a Covid test, or Covid-negative certificate, or 14-day quarantine. But even as of today, the district administration has not issued an updated SOP. This absence of adhering to even basic administrative processes exposes Sawant’s complete lack of interest in governance,” the AAP Secretary Pradeep Padgaonkar said in a statement.
“It appears that Sawant, having given up all efforts to either control the spread or ensure treatment of the infected, is only waiting for herd immunity to develop in Goa. But it is well known that before herd immunity is reached, many people will lose their lives,” he added.
