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

Puducherry, May 16 (): A 24-year-old woman fromKaraikal tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, pushing thetally of active cases to eight in the Union Territory ofPuducherry.

Director of Health and Family Services S

Mohan Kumartold reporters here that the woman had returned from Dubai afew weeks ago and had first tested negative for theinfection.

But, a second test on Friday confirmed she waspositive. She is now in the Government General hospital inKaraikal where already one patient is under treatment.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the Union Territoryhas now risen to eight - six in Puducherry and two inKaraikal.

Meanwhile, five patients, including a woman, fromneighbouring Tamil Nadu districts of Villupuram andCuddalore, are undergoing treatment for the infection in thecentrally-administered JIPMER and they are counted underTamil Nadu list.

Health Secretary Prashanth Kumar Panda said becauseof resumption of economic activities following easing ofrestrictions, people have stopped following social distancingnorms.

This is going to spell danger for the UnionTerritory, he said.

He said that the government had issued 'standardoperating procedures' to all hospitals to ensure that thepatients turning up followed social distancing .

He further said the department was carrying outtesting of people by collecting samples and of the 5,312samples tested so far, 5,162 samples tested negative andresults of remaining tests were awaited. CORNVG NVG