Five doctors of the Centrally- administered Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) were among 12 fresh COVID-19 cases reported in Puducherry on Sunday as Lt Governor Kiran Bedi asked people to follow norms like social distancing and wear masks as lockdown curbs were set to be further relaxed from Monday.
Under the fresh relaxations, places of worship and hotels will reopen for devotees and customers respectively after remaining shut for over two months.
"Things are challenging in Puducherry. With the opening up of activities from Monday we should be very careful. We do not know where the infection would stop and we should be very alert," Bedi said in a video message to people.
With the addition of five doctors in JIPMER, the number of healthcare personnel who have tested positive for the infection increased to seven and the total number of cases in the union territory went up to 70.
A release from Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services here said, of the nine fresh cases admitted to JIPMER, five were doctors from the premier medical institution while three others were their relatives who had come in contact with them. The other patient was a technician in the Casualty Department in JIPMER, the release added.
The government Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital saw addition of three new COVID-19 patients including a driver in the Police department.
The total number of active cases as on Sunday was 70 after discharge of two patients and the cumulative COVID-19 cases in the Union Territory stood at 119 with 49 discharges, the release said.
Bedi in her video address urged people to be careful with the opening up of activities and said they would have to follow norms like social distancing and wearing masks.
Bedi said men in white dresses (doctors) and in 'khaki' (police) are all struggling to contain the pandemic in the rest of the country and so is the case in Puducherry.
The former IPS officer appealed to the people to protect themselves by adopting 'three S'` namely safety by wearing masks, social distancing and sanitation.
The territorial government has announced that all places of worship would reopen from tomorrow subject to several restrictions.
All hotels would also resume business from tomorrow with dine-in facilities subject to several conditions.