DHARAN: As many as eighteen persons have been discharged from Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) after recovering from COVID-19, on Tuesday.

Following two back to back negative results, 17 men from Jhapa and one Dharan native woman were allowed to return home owing to complete recovery from the respiratory infection.

According to Dr Nidesh Sapkota, spokesperson of the hospital, the patients were discharged after two separate specimen drawn within 24-hours tested negative for the virus.

He further said that eighty patients are under observation, in isolation, at the hospital and are in normal condition.

Hospital authorities have requested the newly discharged people to remain in home quarantine for two weeks as a further precautionary measure.

With the latest addition, the country's COVID-19 tally has raced to 2,099 of which 1,949 are males and 150 females. 266 recoveries and eight fatalities have been reported in the country, thus far.