Amid the growing number of cases of Coronavirus, though lockdown is in place in the country, the Union Territory of Puducherry reported its first COVID-19 related fatality with a 71-year old man hailing from Mahe, succumbing to the infection at a hospital in Kannur, on Saturday. He has no travel history from abroad.

Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja clarified that “the man was not a patient from the state and had come to Kannur for treatment. All his relatives are in Mahe.” She told reporters.

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Department of Health spokesperson, Puducherry, said that this was the first coronavirus death from the UT.

All his nine-member family has tested negative for COVID-19.

“The old  man died at the Pariyaram Medical College Hospital,” Kannur District Medical Officer, Dr K Narayana Naik was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

The deceased hailed from Chalakara in Mahe, a former French colony, which shares its borders with two Kerala districts– Kannur and Kozhikode-, is an enclave of Puducherry.

Teams from Kerala and Mahe have traced almost all the contacts of the deceased and a list of 83 people has been prepared, the minister said.

“We have traced almost all contacts of the deceased. A contact list with 83 persons has been prepared,”Kerala Health Minister said adding the condition of the patient was critical and all efforts had been made to save his life.

The deceased had at first undergone treatment in two private hospitals at Thalassery and Kannur and was later admitted to the Pariyaram Medical College Hospital, where he died this morning, Dr Naik said.

Dr A K Jayasree of the medical college hospital said the man was also suffering from heart and kidney ailments and hypertension.

It is not clear from where the patient had contracted the virus, as he was a social worker and had attended various functions, including some weddings, offered prayers at a mosque and had travelled in various vehicles, although he had no history of travelling abroad.

Samples of 16 people, who had come in contact with him, were found negative, Dr Jayasree said adding results of 30-40 other samples are awaited.

According to some reports, the man tested positive for coronavirus during treatment for renal ailment and was shifted to a COVID-19 hospital in Kannur a few days later.

Earlier, a 68-year old woman from Mahe who had returned from a pilgrimage in March, had tested positive. She had been cured and discharged from the Mahe government hospital recently.

Seven people have tested positive for the COVID-19 in Puducherry.