Rupesh Samant

Panaji, Jun 26: As Goa crossed 1,000 COVID-19 positive cases, Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Friday admitted that the “community transmission” of the virus has begun in the state.

As per State Health department’s bulletin, 44 new cases of COVID-19 infection were reported on Friday in the state taking the toll to 1,039.

Goa was declared as Green Zone on May 03 due to Zero active cases in the state during that time.

On Friday, 35 people who were being treated at different covidcare facilities were recovered and sent home.

The bulletin mentions that total number of COVID-19 active cases in the state are 667.

Meanwhile, Sawant told reporters on Friday that the community transmission of the virus has begun in the state as cases are being reported from across the state.

“We will have to admit that the community transmission has begun in the state. But the infection has been traced to some common sources,” he said.

Goa has already declared Mangor Hill area in South Goa’s Vasco town and Morlem village in North Goa’s Sattari taluka has containment zone. Besides, few other areas have also been sealed declaring them as mini containment zones.

Sawant said that the state government has put in place stringent Standard operating procedures (SOPs).

He said that Goa is the only state which either tests the persons entering in or sends them for compulsory 14 days home quarantine.