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Puducherry records the first positive case of COVID-19

Last Updated 30 March 2020, 05:01 IST

Puducherry on Tuesday reported its case of COVID-19, a 68-year-old woman, who has been under isolation for the past few days, testing positive for the virus.

The woman, who is a native of the Mahe district that is close to Kerala, returned from the Gulf region last week. “She showed symptoms of the disease and was quarantined in a special ward at the Mahe Government hospital for the past few days. She has tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday,” Director of Health and Family Welfare Services Mohan Kumar told DH.

The samples were sent to Kozhikode Government Hospital in Kerala for testing. The woman had landed at the Kozhikode Airport from Saudi Arabia via the UAE where she had gone to meet her relatives.

“The patient is stable, and she is being monitored 24/7,” Mohan Kumar said, adding that no other person from the UT has tested positive for COVID-19 so far. Nearly a dozen people are being monitored in the UT due to their exposure to affected countries.

The tiny Union Territory of Puducherry is divided into four parts – Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe – the last two are located close to Andhra Pradesh and Kerala respectively.

Hours before the woman tested positive, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanaswamy announced a slew of measures to contain spread of COVID-19. He directed closure of cinema theatres, shopping malls and educational institutions across the UT till March 31.

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(Published 17 March 2020, 15:18 IST)

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