NE NEWS SERVICE
PUDUCHERRY, AUG 18
Puducherry continued to witness a surge in daily coronavirus cases with 370 additions on Tuesday, taking the aggregate of infections in the Union Territory to 8,396. Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said in a release that nine more people, including two women succumbed to the disease, raising the toll to 123. Most of the deceased had co-morbidities and they were in the age group ranging between 39 and 79 years old.
Of the 8,396 cases, as many as 3,364 were active cases and total cases recovered and discharged were 4,909. The new cases were identified after examination of 1,106 samples, the Director noted. While the positivity rate was 33.45 percent, the fatality and recovery rates were 1.46 percent and 58.47 percent respectively.
Of the 57,025 samples tested so far, 47,202 were found to be negative and results of examination of remaining samples were awaited, Kumar said. He said 282 patients were discharged during the last 24 hours. Puducherry accounted for a big chunk of the fresh cases.
The total active cases were 1,499 in the hospitals in Puducherry while Karaikal had 85 patients followed by 34 in Yanam and three in Mahe regions. There were 1,743 home quarantined patients.
Meanwhile, a total lockdown was observed in Puducherry on Tuesday in accordance with the decision of the State level Disaster Management Authority. The 24 hour long lockdown would be in force till 6 am. on Wednesday.
All shops and establishments, banks and petrol sales outlets remained shut. Medical shops and milk depots were exempted from the lockdown. Vehicular movement came to a standstill and all the main thoroughfares wore deserted look.
