KATHMANDU, MARCH 21

With a number of places in neighbouring India witnessing a surge in cases of coronavirus infection, the Ministry of Health and Population has requested people not to conduct rallies, seminars, meetings, or events involving large gatherings.

Issuing a press statement today, the health ministry has also asked hospitals and health facilities to remain on standby to deal with a probable surge in the number of coronavirus cases in Nepal.

India reported 43,846 new cases in the past 24 hours. Since Nepal and India have open border, the government fears that a surge in the number of cases in India might lead to a similar spike in numbers in Nepal. As such, it has asked those deployed at the health desks at entry points across the country to be more vigilant.

It has also urged people to wear masks when outside and practise hand hygiene and social distancing.

Meanwhile, health authorities today diagnosed 77 new cases of coronavirus infection in the country, including 41 in Kathmandu valley. With this, Nepal's COVID caseload has reached 275,906, including 271,921 recoveries, 969 active cases, and 3,016 deaths.

Of those testing positive for the contagion in the valley today, 34 are from Kathmandu, five from Lalitpur, and two from Bhaktapur.

Of the others diagnosed with the respiratory contagion today, seven are from Kaski, four from Baglung, three each from Gorkha and Syangja, two each from Saptari, Kavrepalanchowk, Myagdi, Palpa, and Banke, and one each from Jhapa, Morang, Dhanusha, Sarlahi, Ramechhap, Tanahun, Parbat, Pyuthan, and Bardiya.

According to the health ministry, 106 COVID patients were discharged from health centres across the country in the past 24 hours after recovering.

So far, 98.6 per cent of COVID patients have recovered in Nepal.

No death from coronavirus was reported in the past 24 hours in the country, the health ministry said.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 22, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.