Goa govt invokes Epidemic Diseases Act to ban gatherings

The Goa Health Department on Friday invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987, banning public gatherings in the coastal state with immediate effect to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane told reporters that he had also requested Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to close school classes up to std 9th while allowing std 10th and 12th students to appear for ongoing examinations.

He had also urged the chief minister to cancel Shigmo Festival parades this weekend, Rane said. "We have invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987 which empowers the health department to take measures to curb spread of the coronavirus," he said.

Goa has not reported a single confirmed coronavirus case so far. "After invoking the act, there will be a ban on mass gatherings including marriages in private hotels. We had to take these steps due to exponential increase in the cases of coronavirus in the country and globally," he said.

"We are lucky that till now we don't have a single confirmed case, but Maharashtra has detected cases and there is a death due to coronavirus in Karnataka," he said. "Regulations under the Act will come into force immediately," the minister added.

Under the Act, the department can even shut down movie theaters, Rane said, adding that every decision will be taken in consultation with the chief minister. As to the Zilla Panchayat elections of March 22, Rane said the campaigning must be subdued.

"We can have other means of campaigning (apart from public meetings)," he said, adding that disinfectants must be used to clean floors and other surfaces at polling booths..