Goa: Leader of Oppn Kamat says 'community testing need of the hour' to contain COVID-19

Amid the Coronavirus outbreak, Digambar Kamat, Leader of Opposition in the Goa government, on Wednesday urged the party in power to start community testing rather than conducting a community survey. This comes as the total number of positive cases in the country touches the 5000 mark. The total number of COVID-19 cases stands at 7 in Goa.

Kamat stated that the medical fraternity and experts in virology have clearly emphasised on the need for 'community testing' and further urged the government to take pro-active steps to start community testing in Goa as a step towards controlling the spread. 

"The medical fraternity and experts in virology have clearly emphasised on the need of 'community testing' as an effective step towards controlling spread of novel Coronavirus. The Government should immediately drop the idea of community survey and take pro-active steps to start community testing in Goa as a step towards controlling the spread of novel Coronavirus," said Kamat.

He further said, "It appears that the idea of Community Survey is without proper thought process. There is a high risk of the persons undertaking survey of getting exposed to the virus if they are not provided with PPE. The persons who will be sent for such survey also needs to be tested first to ensure that they are not the carriers of the virus."

Meanwhile, he demanded a report giving details on the actual number of testings done in Goa and the samples sent outside Goa. "We need to know how many samples are tested on a daily basis and how much time is required to test each sample," he said.

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Goa recommends extension of Lockdown 

Meanwhile, the Goa cabinet on Wednesday decided to recommend an extension of the COVID-19 lockdown till April 30 in light of the rise in the number of coronavirus cases.The state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, also decided that section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code should remain in place till the ongoing health crisis abates.

"We have decided to recommend an extension in the current lockdown to the Prime Minister's Office, suggesting that it remain in place till April 30," state Port Minister Michael Lobo told PTI.

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(With Inputs from Agencies)