COVID-19 fallout: Section 144 imposed in North Goa
Section 144, which restricts assembly of four or more than four persons, has been imposed in North Goa, in order to combat the spread of coronavirus. "Any person contravening this order shall be punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code," the order reads. The orders issued by the District Magistrates of North Goa and South Goa district has also warned of action against against spreading of rumours related to the coronavirus "through mass and social media without its proper verification and also through instances of misreporting in the newspapers which has led to doubts and panic in society" potentially leading to incitement and violence.
Novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 271 on Saturday after fresh cases were reported in various parts of the country, according to the Health Ministry. Among these are 39 foreign nationals, including 17 from Italy, three from the Philippines, two from the UK, one each belonging to Canada, Indonesia and Singapore. The total figure also includes four deaths reported from Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra. With the number of confirmed cases surging across the globe, governments are gearing up to facilitate conditions for social distancing with the closure of schools, colleges, movie theatres, malls, parks and other public places.
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