Do not single out states: Goa CM to Thackeray

Panaji, April 19 (IANS) Goa Chief Minister Prmaod Sawant on Monday urged Uddhav Thackeray to not "single out" states, after the Maharashtra government blacklisted six states, including Goa, as "places of sensitive origin".

"#COVID19 is a global pandemic. Let us put up a combined fight against this pandemic under the leadership of PM @narendramodi ji. I urge @CMOMaharashtra not to single out states as 'Places of Sensitive Origin', and withdraw the said order in public interest," Sawant tweeted on Monday.

Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte in an order said that Kerala, Goa, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and NCR region and Uttarakhand had been declared as places of "sensitive origin" until the order is retracted or till Covid-19 stays notified as a disaster.

The directive has been issued by the Maharashtra government "in order to curb the transmission of Covid-19 in the state and in order to stop the influx of Covid-19 virus variants into the state of Maharashtra from other locations".

The order has been issued under the provisions of Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.

Reacting to the development, Goa Aam Aadmi Party convenor Rahul Mahambre said that Goa should also insist on Covid-19 certificates from tourists visiting the state.

"Maharashtra govt declares Goa is a place for sensitive origin for covid 19. But despite pleas from all @DrPramodPSawant is still adamant not to insist for covid negative for travellers coming to Goa," Mahambre said.

On Sunday, Goa reported its highest tally of daily Covid-19 cases with 951 persons testing positive. The state currently has 7,052 active Covid-19 patients.