Panaji: Goa reported six new Covid cases on Friday with nil hospitalisations and nil deaths. A total of 469 samples were tested with a case positivity rate of 1.28%. Goa’s case positivity rate crossed the one percent mark twice this week, after several weeks. Active cases are at 44, the highest since April 2. Goa’s weekly positivity rate is 0.94% for North Goa and 0.82% for South Goa between April 22 and April 28.
Staff ReporterPanajiThe number of COVID cases doubled in Goa on Wednesday with the detection of 14 fresh cases.On Tuesday, Goa had logged seven fresh cases at a positivity rate of 1.23%.The test positivity rate recorded on Wednesday is 0.97% and the tally of active cases has risen to 39 in the state.Fortunately, no new death linked to the dreaded virus was reported in the last 24 hours.Two patients were declared as recovered in the last 24 hours andthe overall recovery rate in the state continues to be at 98.43%.The confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Goa currently stand at 2,45,409 of which 2,41,538 patients have defeated the deadly disease. Till date, 3,832 patients have died due to COVID-19 in the state.Meanwhile, amid a rise in fresh COVID-19 cases across the country, the public health department on Wednesday issued an advisory asking citizens to continue wearing masks at all public places.In an official communiqué, the department has urged people to continue observing all appropriate COVID behaviour as important preventivemeasures against the virus.It is pertinent to note that on Monday the expert committee of doctors had opined that the emergence of fourth COVID wave cannot be ruled out and hadrecommended wearing of face masks in public places and closed rooms.
Panaji: Goa reported six new cases of Covid infections and nil deaths on Sunday. With this, the total number of positive cases has now gone up to 25. Meanwhile, a total of 711 samples were tested and the case positivity rate currently stands at 0.84%. The state has reported 3,832 Covid deaths, 2.45 lakh cases and over 31,000 hospitalisations since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Goa’s recovery rate stands at 98.43 percent.
Panaji: Goa reported two Covid-19 infections on Sunday, and has consistently been reporting less than ten daily cases for the past 15 days. Active cases are at 17 and have stayed under the 50-mark for 25 consecutive days. Goa has also continuously been reporting nil deaths for the past 18 days. On Sunday, 423 samples were tested with a case positivity rate of 0.4%. The state has been testing less than 1,000 samples for the past two weeks. The weekly positivity rate between April 10 to 16 was 0.6% for South Goa and 0.3% for North Goa tnn. More than 2.4 lakh persons tested positive and 3,832 died since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. The recovery rate currently stands at 98.4%.
Panaji: Goa reported a single Covid-19 case on Thursday for the second consecutive day. The state has been recording under ten daily cases for the 12th consecutive day. There have also been nil Covid deaths reported for the past 15 days. Daily hospitalisations have also been nil. The active tally is at 16 and has stayed under 100 for more than a month now. On Thursday, 325 samples were tested with a case positivity rate of 0.3%. For almost a fortnight now, Goa has been testing under 1,000 samples. The weekly positivity rate for South Goa between April 7 to 13 has been 0.7% compared to North Goa’s at 0.1%. There were three recoveries over the past 24 hours. The recovery rate is 98.4%.
Panaji: The women police station has arrested constable Manjunath Koli, a driver attached to the motor transport section, for allegedly raping a minor girl for one year at a private hotel in North Goa. The incident came to light when the 15-year-old girl complained of a severe stomachache. Police said that her mother immediately took her to a government hospital in North Goa. After her admission, the doctor advised the mother to have a sonography done at the North Goa district hospital. The report showed that the minor was one month pregnant. Police said that when the family enquired with her, she revealed that the constable was her friend and they had intercourse several times at a private hotel. Police said that Koli asked his wife to contact the minor girl’s family to convince them to go in for an abortion. The wife took the girl to a private hospital in North Goa, and a doctor prescribed some medicines and performed the abortion. Police said the doctor’s fees were paid by Koli’s wife. Police said that after the abortion, the minor’s family approached a well-wisher to resolve the issue, who arranged for a meeting of both the families. The well-wisher tried to resolve the issue, but later, the girl’s family approached the police to register an FIR against Koli. Police then registered a case of rape. Koli did not register his name in the private hotel’s record, police said. Women police station PI Sudiksha Naik said they arrested Koli in the case and the role of the doctor is being examined. Police said that action would be taken against all those people directly or indirectly involved in the case, if they find evidence of their involvement.
Panaji: The Panaji women police have arrested a police constable (driver) on charges of raping a minor girl.The police said on Friday that the accused Manjunath alias Umar Koli was produced before a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in North Goa and the court has remanded him to seven-day police custody. The police said a complaint in this regard was lodged by parent of the 15-year-old girl.Referring to the complaint, the police said the accused befriended the girl and had sexual intercourse with her on several occasions since June last year.Police informed that the First Information Report (FIR) has been registered under Indian Penal Code sections including 376 (rape), under the relevant sections of the Goa Children’s Act and also under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Panaji: Pointing out that “restoration of the hills that are cut becomes extremely difficult,” the high court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday directed the flying squad to go to the site at Arpora where illegal hill cutting is allegedly taking place and immediately stop the activity in survey numbers 156, 157 and 161. In addition, the division bench comprising Justices Mahesh Sonak and R N Laddha directed the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) to visit the site and stop the activity if they have not granted any permissions. The court issued notices to the panchayat of Arpora-Nagoa, the town and country planning department, North Goa district collector and NGPDA. Advocate general Devidas Pangam told the high court that after the petition the flying squad has been instructed to visit the site and take necessary action. Goa Foundation represented by counsel Norma Alvares with Om D’Costa stated that it was forced to file a petition in the high court, seeking immediate stoppage of illegal hill cutting, after the panchayat, “instead of investigating the complaint and taking necessary action, informed the petitioner that it cannot take any further action until the petitioner identifies by name the persons carrying on the work in question”. Goa Foundation had complained to the Arpora-Nagoa panchayat on March 31 and attached photographs of the heavy machinery and ongoing work at the site. Goa Foundation submitted that no development can be carried out in Goa without a board being put up on the plot which displays all permissions obtained for the purpose of development from various authorities as per the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, 2010. “There is no such board on the premises and the panchayat is duty bound to ensure that without such a board, no development can be carried out by any person concerned,” Goa Foundation submitted to the high court. The foundation had filed a writ petition for protection of the forest on one side of Baga hill and the present development is being carried out on the other side of the same hill. It stated that the Supreme Court has forbidden and disallowed conversion of such plots with natural vegetation.
Panaji: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the concerned authorities to stop hill cutting and development work at Arpora.The complainant in the matter had pointed out that there is hill cutting and construction/development work going on, further apprehending that this activity was being undertaken without any permission.The Advocate General stated that after this petition was served upon them, the flying squad was instructed to visit the site and take necessary action.The High Court observed, “According to us, looking at the photographs as also the response from the panchayat, it will be appropriate if the flying squad not only goes to the site, but immediately stops the activity that is taking place in the aforesaid survey numbers.In a matter of this nature, generally, the parties should resort to such activities and set up a plea of fait accompli. Restoration of the hills that are cut becomes extremely difficult. If permissions have indeed been obtained then normally there is a board at the site indicating not only the name of the party that is carrying out such activity, but also the details of such permission. For all these reasons, we think that the concerned authorities should immediately rush to the site and stop this activity.”The High Court also observed, “The NGPDA authorities should also visit the site forthwith and if they find that they have not granted any permissions then stop the activity at the site. This is in addition to our directions to the flying squad.”
