Goa declared green zone; CM Pramod Sawant says fight against COVID-19 'far from over'

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that the Centre has formally declared the entire State as a ‘green zone’ adding that the war against COVID-19 is ‘far from over.’

Taking to Twitter, the Chief Minister thanked the frontline warriors for their contribution in making Goa free from Coronavirus.  Pramod Sawant added that the fight must continue by adopting a modified lifestyle and prioritizing "safe health norms".

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According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Goa had recorded seven positive cases of COVID-19, and all the patients have been cured, making the state free from Coronavirus. Goa's bordering state Maharashtra has the highest number of positive cases in the country. Karnataka, which also shares its border with Goa, has over 500 COVID-19 cases.

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Centre classifies districts into COVID-19 zones

Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan on Friday has written to Chief Secretaries of all states and union territories designating Red, Orange, and Green zones, as the total tally of Coronavirus cases reached 35,043 in the country.

The Health Secretary in her letter said that since the recovery rate of those infected by the deadly coronavirus has gone up, hence the Ministry is designating various zones under broad criteria. This comes two days before the end of the COVID-19 lockdown. 

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Green-Orange-Red Zones

The letter states that earlier the districts were designated as hotspots based on cumulative cases and doubling rate. However, she said that the current classification is based on the incidence of cases, doubling rate, the extent of testing, and surveillance feedback. Defining the green zone, the letter states that a district will be considered under green zone if there are no confirmed cases or there is no reported case in the last 21 days. As per details, 130 red zones have been marked across the country, 284 orange zones, and 319 green zones districts. The maximum number of red zones are in Uttar Pradesh (19), followed by Maharashtra (14), Tamil Nadu (12), Delhi (11) and West Bengal (10).  

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(with inputs from ANI)