The Goa government has begunsurveying private quarantine facilities which can be used to keep the Goans, who were working on ships and would be brought back to the state due to the COVID-19 outbreak.Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told reporters on Monday that the tourism secretary has been asked to list hotels and hostels, where the Goans who were working on ships, could be kept in paid quarantine once they are brought back in the state by authorities.The Director of NRI, who is the nodal officer for Goans working on ships, is in touch with the Centre. We are identifying paid quarantine centres. If they dont want to stay in government quarantine facilities, then they can be offered these paid centres," he said.The state government is currently discussing the plan to bring back several thousand Goans who were working on different ships and are stranded at various locations across the globe since the outbreak of COVID-19.In Goa, seven people have tested positive since the COVID-19 outbreak, of which five have recovered.The chief minister said he had spoken to all the five patients who have recovered and discharged from hospitals."They have positive mindset. They are confident. We are also trying to convince them to involve themselves in creating awareness against COVID-19, he said.Sawant said the house-to-house community health survey started the state from Monday. More than 2 lakh people were covered during the first day of survey, he added.
