Moneycontrol PRO
you are here: HomeNewsIndia

Goa imposes lockdown till May 3: What is open, what is not

Public transport will remain non-functional and only essential services will be allowed during the lockdown period.

April 29, 2021 / 08:25 AM IST
As a second wave of Covid-19 ripples through the country, lockdowns in neighbouring states, dwindling tourist arrivals and Covid-induced restrictions are affecting tourism in Goa for the second year in a row.

As a second wave of Covid-19 ripples through the country, lockdowns in neighbouring states, dwindling tourist arrivals and Covid-induced restrictions are affecting tourism in Goa for the second year in a row.

Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on April 28 announced a four-day lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 amid the second wave. All bars, pubs and casinos will remain shut from the night of April 29 till May 3.

Restaurants will remain shut for dine-in and only home deliveries will be allowed. A detailed SoP will be issued soon.

Addressing a press conference, Sawant said that public transport will remain non-functional and only essential services will be allowed during the period.

"The lockdown will come into force on Thursday evening and remain effective till Monday morning to break the chain of the coronavirus transmission," he said.

Track this LIVE blog for latest update on coronavirus pandemic

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

View more
How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

View more
Show

"Borders will remain open for essential service transportation," Sawant said. However, tourists already in the state will not be allowed to step out of their hotel rooms and will have to stay at their residence during the lockdown.

"Weekly markets will not be allowed during the lockdown. Casinos will also remain shut. However, industrial services will be allowed to function," the chief minister said.

Sawant said that casual labourers need not worry as the lockdown will be lifted on Monday morning and business activities resume.

The CM also appealed to people to take necessary precautions against coronavirus and take medicines in case of COVID-19 symptoms.

Sawant said as per the modified COVID-19 treatment protocol, medicines are offered to people at the time of testing instead of waiting for results.

"Vaccination centres will function normally during the lockdown and people will be inoculated after booking an appointment," he added.

As many as 2,110 persons tested positive for coronavirus, while 31 died of the infection in Goa on April 28. The latest cases and casualties have raised the tally of infections to 81,908 and toll to 1,086.

With the addition of 748 patients discharged during the day, the count of recoveries has risen to 64,231. The coastal state is now left with 16,591 active cases.

Click here for Moneycontrol's full coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak

Moneycontrol News
first published: Apr 28, 2021 01:35 pm