Panaji, Jan 13 (IANS): Imposing a night curfew just for the name's sake has no point, Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Thursday, ruling out imposition of the restriction in the state, which has seen a steep spike in new Covid infections.

"It's not like people are mixing in a big way. If we simply put it for name's sake and it is not followed, then there is no meaning," he said, after emerging from a video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Central government officials and Chief Ministers and Health Ministers of other states.

Rane also said that the tourist footfall to Goa had dwindled over the last few days amid the emergence of the third wave nationwide.

"Hotel occupancy is less, fewer people are coming, flights are at only 50 per cent (occupancy). So we have to follow protocol, masks, and gatherings have already been restricted," he said.

Goa currently has 16,887 active cases, while the state reported 3,728 new cases on Thursday.