Puducherry, Jan 17 (PTI) With COVID-19 cases spreading unabated across the country, the Puducherry government on Monday has decided to allow only 50 per cent of its staff to work in offices. In line with the Centre"s guidelines, the territorial administration has issued an order directing the government offices and departments here to have only 50 per cent of its Group B and Group C staff coming to offices till January 31, Under Secretary to Department of Personnel and Administrative Affairs of Puducherry V Jaishankar said. He said all Group A officers, under secretaries to the government and heads of departments should attend office with full strength. However, persons with disabilities (PwD) and pregnant women employees ar exempted from attending office and they can work from home, the order stated. Departments rendering essential services, the revenue-generating departments and those involved in implementation of COVID control activities are not eligible to be covered by this order of having a cap of 50 per cent staff strength. Administrative secretaries are competent to decide the level of attendance depending upon functional requirement of the departments and offices, it stated. Staff residing in containment zones, if any, are also exempted from coming to offices till the containment zone is denotified by authorities. The Union territory witnessed a dip in the number of new coronavirus cases with 907 being added in the last 24 hours while the active cases rose to 8,359 on Monday. PTI COR HDA HDA