With the death of a 28-year-old laboratory worker in Russia’s Irkutsk region in Siberia sparking public health concerns about pneumonic plague during Goa’s tourist season, the state’s Opposition Leader has called for health screening of all tourists arriving in the coastal state from Russia. This comes as Goa’s tourist season kicks off, with the first batch of international tourists arriving last week.A woman working at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East died of plague last week. While 200 people who came into contact with her have now been quarantined, Russian authorities claim the worker died on October 2 of pneumonia of an as-yet-unestablished origin, and that there is no risk of an epidemic breaking out.In Goa, which sees a significant number of Russian tourists, the development has sparked concerns. On Wednesday, Congress leader Yuri Alemao, the Leader of Opposition in the Goa Assembly, said the government must immediately introduce precautionary health screening for tourists from Russia.The remarks come a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) sought more information on the death from Russia, saying that “timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public health risks”.“I demand surveillance for passengers arriving from Russia, in coordination with Central health authorities. Tourism is vital to Goa, but public health and the safety of Goans must come first. Prevention is always better than crisis management,” said Alemao in a post on X.Also Read | Russian pneumonic plague scare: What it means for IndiaAlemao said the government cannot afford complacency regarding concerns after the death of the laboratory worker in Russia. “With regular charter flights now bringing tourists from Russia to Goa, I demand the government immediately introduce precautionary health screening,” he said.For his part, Kedar Naik, the Goa government’s director of tourism, said the department is yet to receive any advisory from the WHO or any other health organisation regarding the issue. “As of now, the [tourist] season is going well. We are welcoming all the tourists to Goa. There is no concern since we have not received any advisory from the WHO or any other organisation. If the health regulators issue any advisory in this regard, we will look into it and accordingly initiate corrective measures,” Naik said.Story continues below this adThe tourism season in the coastal state officially commenced last week with the arrival of the first charter flight from Russia’s Yekaterinburg, carrying 162 passengers to Goa. Another charter with 285 passengers from Moscow arrived on October 4.Also Read | Nearly 200 isolated after lab worker dies of suspected plague in SiberiaAfter the arrival of the first charter flight from Russia on September 30, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said the tourism department’s approach is to strengthen the traditional source markets such as Russia and the UK, while simultaneously widening Goa’s international footprint.“As connectivity grows, we also want international travellers to discover more of Goa…our heritage, culture, wellness, nature, cuisine, spirituality and the diverse experiences that lie beyond our beaches. Our focus is on building Goa as a better-connected, responsible and year-round global destination,” Khaunte had said.