India: Goa restrictions continue until May 31

The state government has extended restrictions in Goa until May 31. Casinos have been closed since April 29.

India.- Authorities in Goa have extended the state’s current Covid-19 countermeasures until May 31.

Only essential services are allowed. Goa’s casinos must remained closed, along with gyms, colleges, schools and bars.

Restaurants, pharmacies and medical stories can operate from 7am to 7pm, while liquor and food stores are allowed to operate from 7am to 1pm.

Authorities ordered Goa’s casinos to close from April 29, responding to calls from medical professionals since the offshore casinos were not affected by previous restrictions.

One of the affected Goa casino operators, Delta Corp, has asked authorities for a waiver on licence fees due to the impact on its venues.

The company noted in its financial report that Delta Corp is debt-free and has adequate liquidity available to comply with its liabilities and obligations, but management has asked the state government of Goa for a reduced payment mechanism for its casino licence fees for the period from April 2020 to October 2020. 

During the last quarter of 2020, Delta Corp reported a profit of Rs1.28 crore (US$176,000), which represented a fall of 97.7 per cent year-on-year but a return to profit after a loss of Rs54.91 crore (US$7.6m) in the prior quarter.

For the first quarter of 2021, Delta Corp reported that sales rose 40.57 per cent to Rs 133.22 crore while net profit for the full year declined 12.87 per cent to Rs 86.75 crore.

The company’s casino in Sikkim also remains closed to due an increase in Covid-19 cases in the region. According to the Ministry of Health, Sikkim registered 295 new cases in the last 24 hours.