NE NEWS SERVICE
PUDUCHERRY, JUNE 18
A 52-year-old man died of coronavirus while 27 new cases were reported in Puducherry on Thursday, taking the toll to six and total infections rose to 271 in the Union Territory.
Lt Governor Kiran Bedi urged the people to adhere to the guidelines of the Centre and adopt social distancing, wear masks and also ensure sanitation to help prevent.
Speaking to reporters, Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao said the man, who was admitted to Indira Gandhi Government hospital here succumbed to the infection early today. He said 27 new COVID-19 cases were admitted to the hospitals in Puducherry. Of the 149 active cases, 120 were in the medical college hospital in Puducherry, 22 in JIPMER, six in Karaikal and one is undergoing treatment in Mahe region.
Rao said while 26 of the 27 fresh cases were admitted to the medical college hospital here, the remaining one was admitted to JIPMER. The overall cases in Puducherry now stood at 271 after the death of one patient and shifting of another taking treatment in Delhi from the list of Puducherry.
Noting that the death of the 52 year old man proved that people of any age could get infected, he said, “We should not labour under the mistake that only elderly people of more than 75 years would succumb to infection.” “This patient was hale and healthy but collapsed this morning. Hence, people should be extremely careful and take preventive steps,” Rao added. Health Minister pointed to the ”lack of cooperation” from the public as adding to the grim situation in Puducherry. There were also instances of the infection spreading because of the international travellers returning to Puducherry without informing the government and also those from other States to Puducherry.
“Government departments alone cannot collect full details of the persons contracting the disease through contact tracing unless people come out with full details,” he said. “Puducherry is moving fast towards a peak situation and hence responsibility of the people also increased to play a pro- active role. Every day not less than 10 cases were reported on an average and this might increase further in near future,” he added. Secretary to Health, Prashant Kumar Panda, who was also present, said the situation “is quite frightening in Puducherry.” The fact that Puducherry had reported 27 fresh cases during the last 48 hours showed that people were not sticking to the norms of social distancing, mask wearing and sanitation.
Director of Health and Family Welfare services S Mohan Kumar said presently there were 21 containment zones in Puducherry. Of the 11,356 samples tested so far 10,920 samples tested negative. The results of the remaining samples were awaited, he said.
Meanwhile, Bedi in her message to the people of the Union Territory said they should follow the guidelines issued by the Centre and adopt social distancing, wear masks and also ensure sanitation. “Puducherry is headed to have around 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 by July and hence all including the media should play a pro-active role to protect Puducherry and its people against the spread of the pandemic. She also asked the government to do more although it had been doing good work all along.
