PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that the government has not taken a decision on extending the 'lockdown' beyond Monday even as the State's streets saw thin human and vehicular movement on day one of the four day lockdown.
Streets even in the tourist belt were fairly deserted on Friday but businesses, even non-essentials and in some cases wine stores, remained open.
Responding to reports floating, particularly on social media platforms, Sawant urged people not to believe 'fake news' and asserted that no decision has been taken to extend the lockdown.
"Goa Government has not taken any decision on extension of lockdown. Do not believe in Fake News circulated on social media," Sawant said in a tweet from his official handle.
The medical fraternity on the other hand was rooting for the lockdown to be extended for at least 15 days for it to be meaningful and serve its purpose of breaking the chain of transmission of the dreaded virus.
Meanwhile, the Goa government's General Administration Department (GAD) has extended the guidelines it issued on April 21 for State government offices to work with 50 % workforce until May 15.
The Office Memorandum issued by the GAD on April 21 had specified that all offices of the State government will function with half the workforce till April 30.
The circulation of this GAD circular extending the effect of the April 21 Office Memorandum beyond April 30 and until May 15 was perhaps the source of reports that the government had decided to extend the lockdown.
