The Goa government is likely to impose night curfew in the state on the lines of Delhi to curb the spread of COVID-19, a state minister said on Thursday. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane did not specify when its implementation is likely to come into force.

"I have spoken to the chief minister on imposing night curfew in the state on lines of the state of Delhi and Karnataka. The file is already in the process," Vishwajit  Rane said in a statement.

''Strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) is the need of the hour as Goa is a tourist state,'' he said. He added that he received a letter from the Union Health Secretary, which asked each state government to ensure that standard operating procedures and strict protocols are laid down in the light of the coronavirus situation at the local level.

''Since Goa is a tourist state, it is imperative to have strict operating procedures in place, so as to enable us to sustain the tourism activities as per the COVID-19 guidelines,'' he said. A senior health department official in Goa said that the Union Health Ministry sent a letter to the state government on Thursday, asking it impose the curbs.

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