Yesterday, two tested positive for COVID-19 infection in Kapilvastu district. The addition of two new cases in the earlier tally of 99 has made the number of coronavirus cases in Nepal hit triple digit.

Till date – 101 people, 73 males and 28 females, have tested positive for coronavirus in Nepal with no casualties and 22 of them have recovered. Of all the patients who tested positive for COVID-19, three have tested positive again after recovery while the health condition of others is said to be normal. Coronavirus cases as per province are:

Province 1 – 31

Province 2 – 30

Bagmati Province – 7

Gandaki Province – 2

Province 5 – 26

Karnali Province – 0

Sudur Paschim – 5

After a surge of cases in Udayapur, Birgunj and Nepalgunj, these places have been marked as coronavirus hotspots. The Ministry of Health and Population has decided to test 500 swab samples in Udayapur and 1,000 each in Birgunj and Nepalgunj.

Meanwhile, the Swiss Government has donated 30,000 PCR and 30,000 RNA extract kits to Nepal at a time when the nation was running out of PCR reagents. The kits arrived in Nepal yesterday.

A total of 68,602 tests have been conducted in Nepal as of May 7 with 14,509 PCR tests and 54,093 RDTs.

Similarly, 17,372 suspected patients are kept under observation in quarantine.

The news comes as a relief as reports of depleting PCR test kits were a source of worry to the government.

As of 7th May, 2020, the total number of tests done is 68,602, of which 14,509 are PCR tests, while the remaining 54,093 tests were Rapid Tests. Several health experts have also said the number of PCR tests are too low, and could be attributed to the low figures in the number of infections.

The national lockdown, which was imposed on 24th March is ongoing and effective until 18th May, 2020. The international airport at TIA and its national borders are to remain closed until 31st May, 2020, as per government directive.