KTM – Additional 57 cases of COVID-19 have been reported from several parts in the district today. With this, the number of confirmed cases nationwide has reached 191, the Ministry of Health and Population said.

Among the cases reported today, 39 are in Parsa alone followed by nine in Rupandehi, eight in Kapilvastu and one in Bara. This is the first time that the highest cases of infections have been reported in the country at once. On Tuesday, 24 people were found to be infected with the virus.

According to Dr Samir Kumari Adhikari, Joint Spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population, the latest tests were conducted at the Teku-based National Public Health Laboratory in Kathmandu.

Health updates of the infected are normal. The first case of COVID-19 was identified on January 23 on a Nepali student returned from Wuhan, known as the epicenter of deadly virus, in China. To date, 33 people have been recovered.

With an increasing number of people entering the country from India even after lockdown, the government has decided to track the suspended and bring them in the testing coverage.

”People continue to returns home from India amidst lockdown. Those staying in quarantine have been included in the testing that’s why the number of confirmed cases is increasing,” Dr Adhikari said. He spoke the need of speeding up surveillance on the suspected.

The government, presently, is conducting 1,000 tests through PCR procedures and some 2,000 Rapid Diagnostic Test on a daily basis. The PCR is going in different 19 places and RDT in all 77 districts. RSS