NEPALGUNJ: As many as 21 people, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier, have been discharged from the hospital following recovery from the disease, in Banke district on Friday. All of the patients were undergoing treatment at the Khajura-based Sushil Koirala Prakhar Cancer Hospital, which is a special COVID-19 Hospital as designated by the provincial government. Among the 21 people, 20 tested negative in their second test through RT-PCR method while a 60-year-old man of Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City-7 tested negative for the respiratory infection in his third test, informed Dr Prakash Thapa, medical superintendent of the Nepalgunj-based Bheri Hospital, where the tests were run. Among the discharged are nine females and 12 males of ages 1 to 60 years, all of whom have reported recovery on an average of 17 to 20 days of hospital-stay. With this, the total number of COVID-19 recovery cases has now reached 70, adding a glimmer of hope as the nation clamors with the pandemic.