PUDUCHERRY: As many as 64 fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported in Puducherry, taking the total number of cases to 1337, while a 74-year-old man died taking the toll to 18.
Among the 64 new cases, 48 are in Puducherry region, 10 in Karaikal region, five in Yanam region and one in Mahe region, said Minister for Health Malladi Krishna Rao.
Presently, 629 persons are undergoing treatment, of which 558 are in Puducherry region (389 are being treated at the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Research Institute (IGMCRI), 107 at JIPMER and 62 in COVID care centres), 43 in Karaikal GH, 25 in Yanam GH and three in Mahe GH.
In all, 690 patients have been discharged after recovery including 53 on Saturday.
Till now, 24485 samples have been tested, of which 22819 have been negative and the test results of 282 are awaited.
Malladi Krishna Rao said that testing of samples have been improved to over 800 samples per day. Now constituency wise sample tests are being done, he said. This would be repeated every 10 days and all symptomatic persons would be tested.
He also requested the Chief Minister to impose a total shutdown from subsequent Sundays, if it was not possible on 12 June.