Nepal reports 278 new coronavirus cases

Nepal reported 278 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking the total number of infections in the country to 2,912.

The coronavirus has spread to 68 of the 77 districts in the country, the ministry of health and population said.

A 28-year-old man from Surkhet district, who was quarantined after returning from India last month, died on Thursday. Now the COVID-19 death toll stands at 11.

There are 2,568 active coronavirus patients in the Himlayan nation. The number of recovered cases rose to 333 with 43 people being discharged from hospitals on Friday, the ministry said.

Polymerase chain reaction tests have been conducted on 88,366 people.

Out of the 278 new cases, only 11 are women, the rest are men. The highest number of new infections are from Dailekh district in west Nepal with 90 cases, followed by Kapilvastu (44), Sunsari (21), Rupandehi, Ramechhap (18 each) and 17 from Mahottari districts.

Jhapa, Morang, Rautahat, Bhojpur, Dadeldhura, Kavre, Kailali, Dhanusha, Jumla, Bara, Sindhuli, Nawalparasi, Tanhu, Palpa, Arghakhachi, Achham, Bajhang, Kaski, Humla, Dolakha, Gorkha, Surkhet, Dang, Gulmi and Ramechhap districts account for 70 of the new cases.

Meanwhile, Health Ministry spokesperson Bikash Devkota on Thursday said a proposal to declare a health emergency has been mooted in view of rising number of cases.

The lockdown imposed by the government to fight the deadly virus has been extended till June 14. The domestic and international flight operations have been suspended until June end.