A 29 year old female from Sindhupalchowk District passed away on Saturday recording Nepal’s first official death owing to COVID-19.

According to Ministry of Health and Population, the woman had delivered a new born on 6th May, 2020 at Maharajgunj based TU Teaching Hospital. She was discharged on 7th May. Following reports of fever and difficulty in breathing, she was first taken to the local hospital for medical care. However, her health continued to deteriorate and passed away enroute Dhulikhel Hospital. Her swab samples were first collected and tested at Dhulikhel Hospital, which yielded a positive report. Further test at Teku confirmed the same.

Information pertaining to the health status of the newborn hasn’t been shared.

Nepal, which has been in a lockdown for more than 50 days, is witnessing a surge in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 lately. As of Saturday evening, Nepal reported 281 confirmed cases of COVID-19.