Goa Government to Open on April 20 With Social Distancing Norms Amid Covid-19 Outbreak

Panaji: With state government offices set to open on April 20, the Goa government's General Administration department on Saturday issued a circular urging senior officers to ensure safe distancing and hygiene protocols on their respective premises.

The circular issued by department under secretary Shripad Arlekar also states, that government offices should not entertain visitors for now and meetings should be conducted via video conferencing as much as possible.

"All heads of departments shall ensure that the employees are called to office on alternate basis, so that not more than 50 per cent strength of all the employees shall attend office on a particular day and remaining shall work from home on alternate day basis (absolutely essential staff may attend on a daily basis)," the order issued on Saturday states.

"It is suggested that working hours for all the employees who attend the office on a particular day should be staggered. Three groups of employees may be formed and asked to attend the office as per following timings," it also adds.

The order also states that all heads of departments are expected to ensure that hand sanitisers are available at the government offices along with adequate water supply.

The order also urges government servants to maintain social distancing at the workplace as well as in public transport, to and from work. Also, the order also states, that visitors should be dissuaded from visiting government offices.

Goa has not recorded a single COVID-19 positive case since April 3.

Currently there is only one COVID-19 positive person in the state government's quarantine facility at the Employee State Insurance hospital in South Goa.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat on Saturday urged the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led government to bring our a whte paper on the finnacial condition of the state and "start austerity measures at all levels by curtailing unwanted and wasteful expenditure".

"The government needs to look into the future of small businesses and professions like street cart operators, motorcycle pilots, rickshaws drvers, mechanics, barbers, cobblers, bar and tavern owners along with tourism stakeholders," Kamat said in a statement issued on Saturday.