Goa prohibits movement of interstate passenger vehicles from today midnight

Goa has prohibited the movement of interstate passenger vehicles from the midnight of March 21 until further orders in view of novel coronavirus threat.

"The District Magistrate, North Goa district and District Magistrate, South Goa have directed and prohibited/banned the movement of passenger vehicles -- Maxicab (12+1), all heavy passenger vehicles like contract carriage, stage carriage, all India tourist buses (tourist Omni-buses) plying from Karnataka and Maharashtra into North and South Goa districts and from North Goa and South Goa district to Karnataka and Maharashtra under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973, read with 'The Goa Epidemic Disease, CIVID-19 Regulations, 2020' with immediate effect until further orders from midnight of this day of March 21, 2020," reads an official release.

Any person contravening this order will attract punishment under Section 188 of the India Penal Code, added the order.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged the countrymen to follow 'Janta Curfew' on March 22 from 7 am to 9 pm. He said that no one apart from those involved in essential services is supposed to venture out of their homes.

The total number of positive cases of coronavirus has climbed to 283, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday.