DAMAULI: As many as 473 samples drawn for COVID-19 detection have come out negative on Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) in two days, in Tanahun district. Authorities had carried out RDT drive in all 10 local levels of the district on Monday and Tuesday.

According to Shankar Babu Adhikari, Chief of District Health Office, Tanahun, people who have recently returned from foreign countries tested negative for the coronavirus antibodies through RDT. Among those tested, 422 were men and 51 were women, added Chief Adhikari.

The district started testing foreign returnees after 642 RDT kits were allocated to all 10 local levels. It has been reported that there are 754 foreign returnees in the district. One among them is under quarantine at a facility in Devghat while others are in home quarantine.

Tanahun District Health Office informed that if anyone tests positive in RDT, their throat swab samples will be collected and sent to Pokhara for further testing through PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) method.

So far, Nepal has reported 16 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 15 are active while one person has recovered from the disease.