The Union Territory of Puducherry emerged coronavirus free as the number of active cases stood at zero after the recovery of the solitary patient, a senior Health Department official said on Thursday, March 31. No fresh COVID-19 case was reported during the last 24 hours ending 10 am Thursday from any of the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam, Director of Health G Sriramulu said.

He told PTI that with no new case of infection and with the recovery of the solitary patient, in home quarantine, during the last 24 hours, there were no Covid cases and nil active cases. "We can say that Puducherry is Covid-free," he added.

The Department of Health tested 212 samples in the last 24 hours and did not detect any fresh cases. The overall caseload remained at 1,65,774 and with the recovery of one patient, the overall recoveries went up to 1,63,812, the Director said in a release. With nil fatalities in the last 24 hours, the death toll remained at 1,962.

The Heath Department has so far tested 22,28,522 and the found 18,73,466 of them to be negative. The test positivity rate remained zero, and the fatality and recovery rates stood at 1.18% and 98.82% respectively.

The Department has so far administered 16,39,293 vaccine doses, comprising 9,50,199 first doses, 6,74,863 second and 14,231 booster doses, Sriramulu said in the release.

On Wednesday, Puducherry registered no fresh cases of coronavirus for the sixth straight day as the total caseload remained unchanged at 1,65,774, a senior health official said.