COVID-19: Two fresh cases reported in Puducherry, tally goes up to 10

Puducherry on Tuesday reported two COVID-19 cases, taking the number of infections in the union territory to 10, a top Health department official said.

A 61-year old man and a 34-year old television mechanic tested positive for the virus, Director of Health and Family Welfare Services S Mohan Kumar told P T I.

The 61-year old man, a resident of Mahe region (an enclave of Puducherry in Kerala) was admitted to the Government General hospital in Mahe for treatment, he said.

The man had returned from Dubai on May 17 and was admitted to a hospital in Kannur in neighbouring Kerala before being shifted to the government general hospital in Mahe today, Mohan Kumar added.

The television mechanic, who had come into contact with a resident of neighbouring Arumbathapuram villagenow under treatment at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College Hospital, tested positive for the virus.

Mohan Kumar said the contact history of the person was traced.

Six people are undergoing treatment in the hospital and it includes a man from Arumbathapuram, his wife and a nine-year old girl.

Also, five people including a woman from neighbouring Tamil Nadu districts of Villupuram and Cuddalore are under treatment in the centrally administered JIPMER, Mohan Kumar said.

Meanwhile, the opposition AIADMK accused the ruling Congress and its ally DMK, of hoodwinking people by adopting double standards on the issue of opening liquor shops in the union territory.

AIADMK leader A Anbalagan said while the Congress and DMK were opposing resumption of liquor sales in neighbouring Tamil Nadu by organising demonstrations, the parties and their leaders were however, keeping mum on the Puducherry government's decision to reopen the outlets here.

The territorial government had on Monday initially announced that liquor outlets would open today before postponing it to Wednesday.