One more COVID-19 case pushes tally to 8 in Puducherry

Puducherry, May 16 (PTI): A 24-year-old woman from Karaikal tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, pushing the tally of active cases to eight in the Union Territory of Puducherry. Director of Health and Family Services S Mohan Kumar told reporters here that the woman had returned from Dubai a few weeks ago and had first tested negative for the infection.

But, a second test on Friday confirmed she was positive. She is now in the Government General hospital in Karaikal where already one patient is under treatment. The number of COVID-19 cases in the Union Territory has now risen to eight - six in Puducherry and two in Karaikal.

Meanwhile, five patients, including a woman, from neighbouring Tamil Nadu districts of Villupuram and Cuddalore, are undergoing treatment for the infection in the centrally-administered JIPMER and they are counted under Tamil Nadu list. Health Secretary Prashanth Kumar Panda said because of resumption of economic activities following easing of restrictions, people have stopped following social distancing norms.

This is going to spell danger for the Union Territory, he said. He said that the government had issued 'standard operating procedures' to all hospitals to ensure that the patients turning up followed social distancing.

He further said the department was carrying out testing of people by collecting samples and of the 5,312 samples tested so far, 5,162 samples tested negative and results of remaining tests were awaited. PTI COR NVG NVG

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