KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population confirmed 53 new coronavirus cases in Nepal taking the tally to 357.

Speaking at a regular press briefing on Monday, Spokesperson Dr. Bikash Devkota said that new cases have been confirmed in Banke, Morang, Gulmi, Dhanusha, Rautahat, Dang and Dhading districts.

Out of 53 new cases, 47 persons are from Banke District including a woman. Their swab was tested in Bheri Hospital’s Laboratory. Other infected persons are a man from Morang, a 41-year-old man from Gulmi, one person each from Dhanusha, Rautahat, Dang, and Dhading.

Coronavirus infection has so far spread across 31 of the 77 districts in the country, with all but one Province affected.

The number of infected has reached 40 in Province No. 1; 132 in Province No. 2, 18 in Bagmati, three in Gandaki and 159 in Province No. 5, the highest among the Provinces. Likewise, five individuals have tested positive for coronavirus in Sudurpaschim.

Spokesperson Dr. Devkota said that 30,723 persons were tested through PCR while 69,560 through RDT as of today. In the last 24 hours, a total of 2,558 individuals were tested through PCR. Altogether 20,090 persons are under quarantines and 412 in isolation.

Similarly, swab samples were collected from 170 persons from Barhabise of Sindhupalchowk–the location of the first death caused due to COVID-19 in the country–the contact tracing of the casualty is ongoing.

The Department of Community Medicine and Centre for Department of Public Health of TU Teaching Hospital are working for the contact tracing. The woman who succumbed to COVID-19 had given birth at the hospital, before going home and later being confirmed positive.

Earlier this morning, Joint Spokesperson Dr. Samir Kumar Adhikari had informed that nine people of Ishnath municipality and Madhavnarayan municipality of Rautahat district and Karaiyamai-5 of Bara district have tested positive for coronavirus.

The infected people are eight men aged 21, 21, 23, 25, 25, 29, 30 (Rautahat), 38 (Bara) and a woman aged 28 (Rautahat).

The new cases were confirmed after their swabs reports came out positive at National Public Health Laboratory, Teku this morning. Their health condition is said to be normal.

Two persons have died so far in Nepal.