Adhere to Covid-19 protocols as cases are high in Pondy: Official

All sections of people in Puducherry should ensure that they adhere to COVID-appropriate behaviour without lowering their guard against spread of the pandemic in the Union Territory, a senior official said on Saturday.

Secretary to Revenue-cum-Member Secretary to State Executive Committee of Disaster Management Authority of Puducherry E Vallavan, who issued an order in the wake of 'rise in number of COVID-19 cases', said the public should adhere to COVID guidelines at places of public gathering, market places.

All field level functionaries such as Health, Police, Revenue, Local Administration Department and Labour shall without causing panic ensure wearing of masks by the public and maintained social distancing, he stated.

Monitoring teams should be formed immediately to sensitise all business establishments, malls, liquor shops and hotels and restaurants so as to ensure adherence to COVID protocol, he said.

Meanwhile, Director of Health G Sriramulu said 101 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported during the last 24 hours after examining 1,673 samples.

He said there were 452 active cases comprising six patients in hospitals and 446 in home quarantine.

The overall caseload was 1,66,726. While 51 patients recovered during the last 24 hours, the overall recoveries were 1,64,312, the Director said.

No fresh fatality was reported from any of the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam during the last 24 hours. The death toll remained unchanged at 1,962.

The test positivity rate was 6.04 per cent today while fatality and recovery rates were 1.18 per cent and 98.55 per cent, respectively.

Sriramulu said the Department of Health has so far examined 22,92,960 samples and out of them 19,36,666 were found to be negative.

He said the department has so far administered 17,44,593 doses which comprised 9,72,072 first doses, 7,40,352 second doses and 32,169 booster doses.