PUDUCHERRY: The number of active COVID-19 cases in the Union Territory rose to 19 with two more cases reported in the Puducherry region on Friday, said Health minister Malladi Krishna Rao. In addition, another two patients from Tamil Nadu are in JIPMER.
A 43-year-old woman from Periyakalapet who returned from Chennai on May 18 developed fever and other symptoms of COVID-19. She came to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (IGMCRI) to get tested. After giving samples, she returned home as she was not willing to be in hospital isolation. After her result was positive, she was brought to the IGMCRI and admitted in the isolation ward.
Another 46-year-old woman hailing from Reddiyarpalayam, Puducherry, residing in Chennai tested positive and is being treated there. Since she is from Puducherry, she was included in the tally, he said.
Presently, there are 15 active cases in the Puducherry region, one in Karaikal region and three in Mahe region, including one at the Kannur Medical College, Kerala.
Stating that a lot of foreign travelers have tested positive after returning to Puducherry, Rao said they are not giving any prior intimation to the administration resulting in difficulties in tracing their contacts. After a high-level meeting last evening, the airport authorities in Chennai were requested to inform the nodal officer here about the arrival of passengers if their final destination was Puducherry so that they could be traced, tested and sent to quarantine if needed.
Presently several people on home quarantine are not staying indoors, he said, adding that the screening committee has been entrusted with the task of finding out whether all the quarantined people are remaining in their homes or not and report to the government.
Director of Health and Family Welfare Dr S Mohan Kumar said that one active case being treated at the IGMCRI was shifted to JIPMER after he developed a variation in his heart beat. Another patient at IGMCRI had breathing difficulties last evening and was given oxygen support. All the patients are steady now, he said.