Covid test, negative certificate no longer needed to enter Goa

PANAJI: Chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday that the state has dropped all restrictions on entry, and that persons coming into the state won’t be tested for Covid-19. He said this decision is pursuant to the new guidelines issued by the Centre. “All instructions issued by the Union ministry of home affairs will be followed,” Sawant said, adding that according to these, there shall be no restriction on interstate movement, no Covid tests, no home isolation, and no need for a Covid-negative certificate. Till Monday, any person entering the state — except drivers of goods vehicles — had to follow the state’s SOP, which involved a Covid-19 test as well as stay in a quarantine centre till the result is out. If it returned positive, the person would have to be admitted to a Covid care centre or hospital. For those who didn’t wish to get tested at the border, a Covid-negative certificate would suffice if issued by an ICMR-approved laboratory within a specified time period. Even after the government opened the state for tourism, the pandemic kept many would-be visitors away, especially as cases continue to spike and deaths continue to increase on a daily basis. On Saturday, over 100 youth from Karwar demonstrated near the state border at Polem, Canacona, and threatened to stop vehicular transport and supply of essentials from Karwar if Goa didn’t open its borders from September 1. Home secretary Ajay Bhalla, in a communication to all state chief secretaries, had said they clearly stipulate that no separate “permission/approval/e-permit” will be required for such movements. “It has been reported that local level restrictions on movement are being imposed by various districts/states,” Bhalla had said. “Such restrictions are creating problems in inter-state movement of goods and services and are impacting the supply chain, resulting in disruption of economic activities and employment, besides affecting supply of goods and services. ”