Puducherry on Saturday, witnessed its biggest single-day spike with 52 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the Union Territory to 339.
According to Director of Health and Family Welfare Services S. Mohan Kumar, out of the 374 persons tested for the virus at the Government Medical College and Jipmer during the 24 hours, 52 have turned out to be positive.
With 13 more discharged on Friday, the active cases stand at 201.
The new cases diagnosed were mostly contacts of patients at the mask factory, he said.
Of the 11,992 people tested, 11,486 tested negative and the results are awaited for 206, he added.
Bedi expresses concern
Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi on Saturday said that COVID-19 that was limited to “clusters alone was now doubling rapidly and spreading into the community.”
The Union Territory recorded 107 cases in the last six days, Ms. Bedi said, adding that a small region such as Puducherry cannot afford to have a big spike in numbers.
In a message to media, the Lieutenant Governor said that many individuals who are infected, from containment zones and hotspots, are entering the territory.
Expressing dismay at people not following norms such as social distancing and wearing of masks, the L-G said “everyone is vulnerable to the infection. Being a small population we will be overrun.”
