BIRGUNJ: A total of 143 new persons including 22 females have tested positive for coronavirus in the lab test carried out using polymerase chain reaction method at Narayani Hospital in Birgunj Metropolitan City of Parsa district.

The test report came out last night, according to Dr Niraj Singh at Narayani Hospital. He said that people diagnosed with COVID-19 include army personnel, prisoners, doctors and medical workers at Gandak-based Narayani Vayodha Hospital and National Medical College, the metropolis mayor and his parents.

The transmission cases include 43 prisoners, a woman taken into police custody, and a policeman facing departmental action.

Likewise, 14 staffers including five doctors at Narayani Vayodha Hospital tested positive for the novel virus in reports that came out Thursday night.

The infected doctors include a 29-year-old male from Tejarath Tole, a 33-year-old male from Shreepur, both in Birgunj-13, a 27-year-old male from Murli, Birgunj, another male, 28, from Parwanipur RM-3 Bara district, and a 38-year-old female from Pipara, Birgunj-14. Nine others contracting the contagion at the health facility are security guards, staff nurses, and utility workers.

Others detected with the respiratory contagion include a doctor, 30-year-old male, at National Medical College, Birgunj and five personnel of Nepali Army.

Likewise, the test report that came out on Thursday night also detected Birgunj Metropolis mayor Vijay Kumar Sarawagi, his 72-year-old father and 68-year-old mother, to have contracted the contagion.

Similarly, others diagnosed with the viral infection in the community are 22 residents of Khalbatola Shrisiya in Birgunj-25. Others infected from Birgunj are residents of Chhapkaiya, Birta, Adarshanagar, Phulbari Tole, Ashok Vatika, Bhawanipur, Adiarwa, Murli, Gandak Bahuari, Sugar Mill. Similarly, two of the infected are residents of Parsagadhi, and four others who are residents of Rautahat district and staying in home quarantine.

Moreover, two swab specimens that tested positive on Thursday belongs to a 79-year-old male who died in home quarantine on Tuesday and a 57-year-old male who died in course of treatment at Narayani Hospital, Gandak.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 patients have been facing problems since the beds at the isolation ward have been fully occupied. It has been reported that neither the administration nor the metropolis has paid enough attention to the issues.