NE NEWS SERVICE
PUDUCHERRY, APR 29
Puducherry has registered 1,122 new Covid-19 cases during the last 24 hours pushing up the overall tally to 57,427, said Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar on Thursday.
Twelve more patients (nine men and three women) succumbed to the virus during the last 24 hours ending 10 AM Thursday raising the toll to 793, he said.
While nine of the deceased belonged to Puducherry, the outlying region of Karaikal reported two deaths and Mahe one fatality.
Most of the deceased had comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension.
They were in the age group ranging between 36 and 80 years.
The Health department Director said that 564 patients were discharged after recovery during the last 24 hours.
The 1,122 new cases were identified after the examination of 9,727 samples showing a test positivity rate of 11.53 per cent.
The Director said 7.86 lakh samples have been examined so far and it was found that 7.04 lakh of them were negative.
He said there were 8,989 active cases which included 7,308 in home quarantine and remaining 1,681 patients in hospitals.
Mohan Kumar said 47,645 patients had recovered and discharged so far from hospitals.
He said that 31,907 healthcare workers and 18,591 frontline workers have been vaccinated so far.
He said that 1,42,412 people coming under the category of either senior citizens (sixty years and above) or those above 45 years with co morbidities have been covered so far under the second phase of inoculation which began on March 1.
Puducherry placed orders for 1 lakh Covishield vaccine: Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan
Meanwhile, Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan told reporters on the sidelines of birth anniversary celebrations of Tamil poet Bharathidasan here that the government had placed orders with Serum Institute of India for supply of one lakh more vials of Covishield as all those above 18 years would be covered under vaccination from May 1.
She appealed to eligible persons to register themselves for vaccination before the commencement of the drive.
The Lt Governor said Remdesivir drug alone was not the be all and end all for treatment of Covid-19.
In this regard, she said she had asked doctors not to indiscriminately prescribe Remdesivir as of late, adding “it is one of the consumables and there are other alternative ways to tackle the virus.”
She appreciated the steps taken by the Tamil Nadu government to coordinate the availability of Remdesivir to the people.
The Lt Governor said that the government had left no stone unturned to tackle the pandemic.
“I also appreciate the cooperation available from the public to ensure successful implementation of the anti-Covid measures here,” she said.
The extension of the lockdown till May 3 in the Union Territory was a preventive measure to save the people from the infection, she added.
Tamilisai Soundararajan said feeding the hungry by political parties and candidates winning the polls would be more appropriate than bursting crackers to mark victory after the counting of votes for the Assembly elections on May 2.
