16 COVID-19 cases in Pondy, tally touches 287

Sixteen new coronavirus cases were reported in Puducherry during the last 24 hours, taking the aggregate in the union territory to 287. Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao told reporters here on Friday that the total number of infections in Puducherry, Karaikal and Mahe regions now stood at 287 while total active cases are 162.

While 118 patients were treated and discharged so far, the total fatalities were seven. Yanam has not reported any COVID-19 case all along. While 12 of the fresh cases were admitted to the state-run Indira Gandhi Government Medical College hospital in neighbouring Kadirkamam, three patients were admitted to the Centrally run JIPMER hospital.

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He said the remaining one, a 35-year-old pregnant woman, was admitted to the government general hospital in Karaikal. The Minister claimed that strict enforcement of restrictions at the inter-state border points during the last couple of days had been very effective and had resulted in a lesser number of the flow of people from Chennai to Puducherry. In her message to the people of Puducherry, Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said, "the spread of infection is on in the Union Territory."

Stressing the need on the part of everyone to wear masks the former IPS officer said, "although expanding, testing or contract tracing remains crucial, designing, producing and getting people to wear more protective masks is more feasible and more quickly achievable." "It may be single most important low hanging opportunity for slowing the COVID-19's spread and giving people the security they need to bring our society back to life," she added.