Highlights from today’s media briefing on COVID-19 response

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), in its regular press briefing, shared the latest updates from across the country on government’s response to COVID-19 crisis.

As of today, 51,642 tests through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method and 95,192 Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) have been carried out, where 2,904 PCR and 5,166 RDT tests were carried out in the last 24 hours.

At present, there are 46,029 people under quarantine in various facilities across the country while 508 persons are in isolation.

The government’s mobile application Hamro Swasthya and web portal covid19.mohp.gov.np have registered 490 entries in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of self-evaluated entries to 49,009.

Four new persons have been added to the red-zone list in the last 24 hours. Their contact tracing is being carried out by the concerned authorities.

Seven new cases -- including a fatality -- of the coronavirus-infection were recorded, in addition to the 72 cases reported earlier, on Monday.

READ MORE: Ministry confirms six new cases, one fatality, taking COVID-19 tally to 682

As many as 25 persons earlier diagnosed with COVID-19 admitted at different health facilities across the country have been discharged, following recovery, confirmed MoHP.

READ MORE: 25 people recover from COVID-19; nationwide recovery tally reaches 112

In one of today’s major developments, it has been learnt that a new PCR machine has been installed at Maharajgunj-based Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) in an attempt to increase the radius of RT-PCR testing to scout the patients of COVID-19 infection. With this recent testing equipment coming into operation, as many as 20 laboratories across various health facilities in the country are conducting PCR tests.

Speaking on behalf of the Ministry, Spokesperson Dr Bikash Devkota, confirmed that an elderly person who had passed away on May 17 at Birgunj-based National Medical College had contracted the infection after cross verification of RT-PCR samples conducted today at the Teku-based National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL).

READ MORE: Health Ministry confirms Nepal’s fourth Covid-19 fatality

As of today, the country has witnessed 682 cases of coronavirus infection including 602 males and 80 females while 112 people have been discharged from hospitals. Four COVID-19 fatalities have been confirmed.

VIDEO: COVID-19 count reaches 682 with six new infections, one fatality