Panaji: Opening up of special train services to Goa does not mean people should throng to the coastal state for a holiday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday.
Sawant also said that Goa, which is a designated corona-free ‘green’ zone, would consider opening up to tourism only after the the guidelines for lockdown 4.0 are announced by the central government.
“People cannot come and enjoy in Goa. Many people would want to come, just because trains have been announced. Once they arrive here, they will have to compulsorily stay put in quarantine for 14 days,” Sawant told a post cabinet-meeting press conference at the State Secretariat.
“If they don’t have a home here or are unable to book a hotel room, they should not come to Goa. They cannot come here and then start looking for hotels,” Sawant also said, adding that the state’s popular beaches continue to be closed for access, in wake of the pandemic and the ongoing lockdown.
The Chief Minister also said, that the first special train to Goa from the national capital would be arriving in the state on May 16.
“As of now, around 500 persons have book their tickets to Goa by the Rajdhani Express, which is scheduled to reach Goa on May 16. The passengers will be ferried from the station to the nearby district hospital by special buses where they will be tested first,” Sawant said.
The Chief Minister also said, that the passengers will be accommodated at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in South Goa for six hours, until the test results are declared.
“Those who test negative will be stamped for home quarantine (for stay in government-approved hotels or the individual’s home). Those who test positive will be shifted to our designated COVID-19 hospital for quarantine,” Sawant said, adding that a similar SOP was being evolved for persons travelling to Goa by road, air and waterways.
Sawant also said, that the state was not open for tourism activity just yet and added that the decision to allow tourists to enter the state would be taken after the central government announces guidelines for lockdown 4.0.
