Panaji, Mar 21 (IANS): The Goa government on Saturday shut down its borders for mass passenger and tourist vehicles traffic, in a bid to crackdown on inter-state movement as a precautionary measure in view of the COVID-10 pandemic.

"Some stringent measures are required to be taken to ban the movement of passenger vehicles - maxicabs (12+1), all heavy passenger vehicles like contract carriage, stage carriage, All India Tourist buses, playing from the state of Karnataka and Maharashtra states, with immediate effect until further orders as per the Goa Epidemic Disease, COVID-19 Regulations, 2020 to contain the spread of COVID-19 disease," reads an order issued by the District Magistrates of South Goa and North Goa.

Vehicles carrying essential goods have been exempted from the inter-state travel ban.

Earlier on Saturday, prohibitory orders were issued across Goa under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which debars mass assembly as well as circulation of malicious and unfounded rumours about the coronavirus disease.