POKHARA: As many as five health-workers deployed in Parbat District Hospital have been detected with Covid-19.

With their diagnosis, all services at the hospital, except for emergency services, have been suspended, Hospital Chief Dr Shishir Devkota informed.

Their swab samples were tested at the National Public Health Laboratory in Kathmandu. This is the first instance of health workers contracting the disease in Gandaki Province.

On Friday, 24 new cases including the five health-workers have been reported in the province. With this, Gandaki's Covid-19 tally has reached 353. Along with the five people in Parbat, two in Nawalpur, 14 in Baglung, six in Kaski and two in Syangja have been infected.

All of the newly infected, other than the health-workers, have recent history of traveling to India and are currently quarantined in designated facilities at respective local levels. Preparations are underway to shift them in isolation.

As of today, 22 people have recovered from the infection in the Province while one death has been recorded so far.

Furthermore, it has been learnt that one person has run away from a quarantine centre in Aandhikhola, Syangja. He has not come into authorities' contact yet.

People staying in quarantine facilities in the province are growing frustrated awaiting their PCR reports, as they cannot avail it even a week after collection of samples.

Despite the authorities' claim that sample collection and testing process has sped up, there have been delays in testing the swab specimen in the province.