Kathmandu, April 13

Three members of a family who lived in Sun City Apartments at Pepsicola Town Planning were admitted to the isolation ward of Patan Hospital after they tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease in rapid diagnostic testing.

Director of Patan Hospital Bishnu Prasad Sharma said the hospital had sent the laboratory samples of the three patients to National Public Health Laboratory to reconfirm the results through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) method.

Three members of the family — a woman, her son and his wife — had returned from London on March 18.

The government has sealed the apartment building.

An occupant of the Sun City Apartments told THT that police personnel came to the building in two vehicles today after the three residents tested positive for the COVID-19. The residents of the building who were preparing to light candles today to celebrate the new Nepali year were told to scrap the programme.

Two police personnel are guarding the apartment building and the residents have been told to strictly follow lockdown rules.

Spokesperson for Metropolitan Police Range Deputy Superintendent of Police Hobindra Bogati said the police cordoned off the apartment building this morning after the Ministry of Health and Population informed them of COVID-19 positive results in one of the apartments. “We did not allow anybody to go in or come out of the building today. We are thinking of providing food and other essential items to the occupants from tomorrow as per the government’s directives,” Bogati added.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on April 14, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.