Nepal's COVID-19 cases reach 121 after 8 more returnees from India test positive

Nepal has reported 11 new coronavirus cases, including eight who returned from India, taking the total number of infections in the country to 121, authorities said on Monday. Nepal is among the nations that have the least number of cases of the deadly coronavirus with no deaths.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, the new cases involve 10 men from Kapilvastu district in Western Nepal and one from Dakneshwari Municipality-3 of Saptari district who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, taking the total tally to 121. The 10 new cases are from Yashodhara Rural Municipality and Buddha Bhumi Municipality. Eight of the 10 cases confirmed on Monday were those who returned to Nepal from India (Mumbai) last month, according to local authorities.

“As we have reported new cases, we will expedite contact tracing now,” Yogendra Bhagat, chief of the health office, told Republica Online. Kapilvastu district is on high alert after a number of COVID-19 patients were reported from there, according to Chief District Officer Dirgha Narayan Poudel. He also added that the newly-confirmed cases and all others who returned from India have been kept in quarantine centers, the report said.

“Ten new patients from the district will be sent to the Butwal-based COVID-19 hospital," Poudel was quoted as saying by the report. The total number of active coronavirus patients in the Himalayan nation has reached 88 as 33 patients have been successfully treated. So far, Nepal has conducted PCR tests on 17,809 people for detecting the novel coronavirus.

Earlier, confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported in Nepal from persons returning from the Tablighi Jamaat gathering in New Delhi's Nizamuddin area in March. On May 4, sixteen people, including 15 who were already on quarantine after they came in contact with a religious leader who returned after attending the Tablighi Jamaat gathering in Delhi tested positive.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)