Total weekend lockdown to combat COVID-19 enforced in Puducherry

Puducherry, April 25: All shops and business establishments remained shut at important shopping centres in Puducherry on Sunday after a 55-hour long weekend lockdown was imposed to check the spread of coronavirus. All major thoroughfares wore a deserted look as people stayed indoors.

However, functioning of essential services was permitted till 2 pm to facilitate the availability of vegetables, groceries and other requirements. There was very poor turn out of passengers in intra state buses. Puducherry has been registering a spike in number of new cases since last week and today the fresh infections reached 1,008 and there were 11 new deaths.

The test positivity touched around 17.89 percent in the Union Territory. Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan visited the Central kitchen near here to see for herself the quality of food meant for sale at subsidized rates.

The weekend lockdown came into force at 10 pm on Friday and will end at 5 am tomorrow. However, the night curfew would be observed every day from 10 pm till 5 am the next day.