Puducherry, Feb 24 (PTI) Puducherry posted 18 new cases of coronavirus during the last 24 hours ending 10 a.m on Thursday pushing the total positives to 1,65,676.The 18 fresh cases identified at the end of examination of 2,000 samples were spread over Puducherry 12, Karaikal (five) and Yanam (one).Mahe an enclave of Puducherry in Kerala registered no fresh case of infection.No fresh fatality was reported from any of the four regions and the toll remained 1,960.Director of Health G.Sriramulu said in a release that 52 patients recovered and were discharged during the last twenty-four hours and the overall recoveries so far were 1,63,489.The active cases were 227 which comprised 19 patients in hospitals undergoing treatment while the remaining 208 patients were in home quarantine.The Director noted that the test positivity rate was 0.90 percent while the fatality and recovery rates were 1.18 percent and 98.68 percent, respectively.The Health Department has tested so far 22,08,874 samples and has found 18,54,030 out of them to be negative.The department had administered so far 15,82,421 doses which comprised 9,30,257 first doses, 6,39,951 second and 12,213 booster doses. PTI COR ROH ROH