Panaji, Aug 10 (IANS): In a fresh set of guidelines for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival, the Goa government has allowed worshippers to leave the state and re-enter within 24 hours, without undergoing testing for Covid-19, even while banning fire-crackers and limiting the entry of only 10 persons at public Ganesh pandals at a time.

"Persons who cross the Goa border for bringing Ganesh idols to Goa for either self-use or sale and return on the same day (within 24 hours of departure from Goa) shall not be required to undergo quarantine/tests provided that they make entry to that effect with the personnel on duty at the border checkposts," the SOP issued by the Goa government said.

"Attendance at ‘aarti' for Sarvajanik (public) Ganesh festival shall be limited to 10 persons only," it added.

Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated in Goa on August 22. The advisory came on a day when the state registered a record increase in Covid-19 cases with 506 persons testing positive, taking the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Goa to 8,712.

The SOP has also advised the organizers of public Ganesh Chaturthi events to live stream religious proceedings "so that devotees can avail ‘darshan' from their homes, thereby avoiding overcrowding".