The number of COVID-19 patients discharged exceeded new admissions in the Union Territory on Tuesday with 32 new cases reported while 36 patients left hospitals after treatment. However, Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao told a press conference that July was likely to see a peak in COVID-19 cases. Private medical colleges had agreed to the government’s proposition to get COVID-ready with infrastructure including beds and testing equipment.“The government will begin to shift some positive cases from its medical college hospital to private medical colleges from Tuesday,” he said.

The active cases stood at 510 and the cumulative total at 1,041.So far, 517 persons have been discharged. The COVID-19 death toll is 14.

While 18 of the new cases were admitted to the State-run IGMCRI, 13 patients were admitted to the Centrally-administered Jipmer and one patient admitted in the government General Hospital in Mahe. The patients, including 12 women, were identified with the infection during testing of 498 samples.

Five patients were less than 18 years, 25 patients were in the age group of 18 to 60 years, while the remaining two patients were above 60.

Of the 21,382 samples tested by the health department, 19,996 proved negative. Mobile testing units have been pressed into service in rural areas to expand testing services.