Pondy health officials rue lax adherence to COVID-19 norms

Puducherry, May 15 (): The rise in the number ofCOVID-19 cases here to seven with three more testing positivefor the infection causes concern, top health officials saidon Friday.

Speaking to reporters, Health secretary PrashanthKumar Panda and director of Health and Family Welfare ServiceS Mohan Kumar said the Union Territory would witness morecases if there was no adherence to norms.

Panda said a woman, her daughter and an industrialworker who have had contact history from the woman's COVID-19-stricken husband in recent days had increased the numberof cases from four to seven, including a patient in Karaikal.

"The message we get is that people are not disciplined,which is unfortunate. This betrays the fact that people arenot maintaining social distancing and isolation. The rise incases is a wake-up call for the people to follow the lockdownnorms," he said.

The Secretary said the government was putting in effortsto keep the pandemic at bay. With the number of cases inadjoining Tamil Nadu districts of Villupuram and Cuddaloreregistering a high number of cases, Puducherry would also beat risk if there is no adherence to the lockdown norms suchas social distancing, washing of hands, wearing of masks andisolation. He said testing of samples was on at various places andof the 5,113 samples tested so far 4,963 samples testednegative. Results of the remaining tests were awaited. "If people are not cautious, the pandemic will spreadeasily and quickly," he said. The director of Health Service said when the ongoinglockdown is eased on May 17 there was the possibility ofPuducherry seeing a larger number of people from neighbouringdistricts. "...Hence social distancing and other restrictionsshould be followed in letter and spirit," he said. "If people do not cooperate, the steps taken over thelast 70 days to prevent the spread of the infection will gofor a toss," the director said. CORNVG NVG