KATHMANDU: Nepal’s Health Ministry, in its regular press briefing, shared the latest updates on coronavirus contagion from across the country, and government’s response to the health crisis. Till date, 1,283,354 tests through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method have been carried out wherein 14,875 tests were carried in the last 24 hours. At present, there are 4,831 people under quarantine in various facilities across the country. The number of active cases in Nepal is 39,341. 2,942 new cases of the coronavirus infection were registered today taking the national tally to 132,246. As many as 2,326 persons earlier diagnosed with the disease have tested negative in the last 24 hours. With the recent addition, the national COVID-19 recovery tally has now reached 92,166. Meanwhile, 12 COVID-19 fatalities were confirmed by the Ministry today, with which the Covid-19 death tally has now advanced to 739. Following decisions have been made by the Ministry in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Remdesivir will be allowed for sale at the pharmacies of COVID-19 designated hospitals.
2. Financially backward, persons with disabilities, elderly and front line workers working in high risk environment of COVID-19 contraction, including security personnel and health workers, can test for COVID-19 for free, given that they don't have a COVID-19 insurance, in which case the cost will be covered by the insurance company
3. The health workers will have to remain in quarantine for seven days only if they develop symptoms of the infection as opposed to the prior decision where they were subjected to quarantine every alternate 7 days of service
4. All hospitals across the nation will have to allocate 50 percent in all wards for potential incoming COVID-19 patients
5. The COVID-19 patients will be discharged from the hospital facility on the grounds of not showing any symptoms of the novel contraction for three days leading upto their completion of 10-day hospital-stay
6. With the onset of Dashain, the PCR labs can remain non-functional on the 9th, 10th and 11th day of the festival. However, it will depend on the number of unattended samples.