The Union Territory’s COVID-19 victim count increased to eight with the death of a 64-year-old patient at Jipmer on Sunday.

The patient, hailing from Kirumampakkam, had diabetes mellitus and hypertension. He was asymptomatic on admission on June 3, but subsequently deteriorated and was on ventilator support when he died.

S. Mohan Kumar, Director of Health, said the new cases were detected during RT-PCR testing of 255 persons on Saturday.

With 31 new COVID-19 admissions, including one in Yanam enclave, the Union Territories’s COVID-19 record stands at eight deaths, 218 active cases, 366 cumulative cases and 140 discharged.

While 12 patients are at the IGMCRI and 18 at Jipmer, one person is at a State facility in Yanam. On Sunday, nine patients were discharged, including one from Jipmer.

“The pattern of infections in Puducherry shows that COVID-19 is a threat across the age spectrum...from a three-month old baby to an 82-year-old person,” he said.

He urged the public to follow the physical distancing and PPE guidelines.

Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi expressed concern over the COVID trajectory in Puducherry. While it took 81 days to record the first 100 patients, it took just 10 days to add the second 100 and a mere five days to add the third 100 patients.

"It is only personal responsible behaviour which will prevent the speed of the spread. At this rate and in a small urban population in the UT we shall be in a difficult situation from all counts," Ms. Bedi said.