Nepal’s COVID-19 cases surge to 217

KATHMANDU, May 12: Nepal’s COVID-19 cases rocketed to 217 after the Ministry of Health and Population confirmed 26 more infections late Tuesday evening.

According to the ministry, six females aged 22, 28, 28, 32, 45 and 60 and 12 males aged 16, 22, 24, 25, 25, 28, 28, 32, 59, 55, 61 and 61 from Parsa district; two males aged 16 and 35 from Mohattari district; a 20-year-old female and a 40-year-old male from Dhanusha district; a female aged 25 and a male aged 27 from Bhaktapur district; a 33-year-old female from Kathmandu district; and a 45-year-old male from Sarlahi district have tested positive for the virus at the National Public Health Laboratory in Teku.

Despite the nationwide lockdown which came into force on March 24 a day after the second case was reported, the infection rate has surged in the country from barely one or two cases in a day to mass infection of 83 cases in a single day, which was reported today. Earlier today, the ministry had confirmed 57 infections.

PROHIBITORY ORDERS

With 57 confirmed cases (51 male and six females) in Parsa alone today, the district of Province 2 has now 90 cases and has become the hotspot of the virus. The province has reported 95 cases.

To prevent further spread of the virus, Parsa and Bara districts have issued prohibitory orders effective from today. Bara has reported three cases.

The infection rate is also high in Kapilvastu of late with 24 cases in the last two days. The ministry confirmed eight new cases in the district– which remains sealed off for a week since yesterday owing to the growing number of infections—taking the total to 29. The ministry also confirmed nine new infections in Rupendahi today. With 16 confirmed cases in Rupendahi and 24 in Banke as well, Province 5 is the second most affected region with 70 cases.

Rupendahi has also issued prohibitory order in seven local units that border South Asia’s hotspot India (2,408 deaths and 73,981 infections as of Tuesday) after it was found that all 16 patients had sneaked into Nepal from Marchwar and Lumbini border areas during the lockdown.

Province 1 is the third most affected region with 35 cases, 32 in Udayapur alone.