KATHMANDU: Nepal reported 147 fresh coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours.

Speaking at a regular press briefing organized by the Ministry of Health and Population on Thursday afternoon, Spokesperson Dr. Jageshwor Gautam said that the country’s COVID-19 tally has reached 18,241 with the new cases.

According to Dr. Gautam, tests conducted at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan confirmed infection in two people from Dhankuta and two from Sunsari, four people from Morang in test at Koshi Hospital, Biratnagar, one from Jhapa and four from Morang tested positive at Provincial Public Health Laboratory, Biratnagar, and two people from Siraha and seven from Saptari were found infected in a test conducted at Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital, Rajbiraj.

Similarly, 17 people of Parsa were found to have contracted coronavirus in the test conducted at Narayani Hospital.

In tests conducted at the National Public Health Laboratory in Kathmandu, two people from Bhaktapur were found to have contracted coronavirus, one from Lalitpur and two from Kathmandu at Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Diseases Hospital, a man from Mahottari tested positive in tests at the laboratory of Bharatpur Hospital, three people from Kathmandu in tests at Patan Hospital, Lalitpur, a man from Parbat tests positive in tests conducted at TU Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj and one person from Lalitpur was found to have contracted coronavirus in tests at Star Hospital, Sanepa.

Likewise, in tests conducted at Pokhara Institute of Health Sciences, Pokhara, a person from Kaski was found infected and tests at Provincial Tuberculosis Center, Pokhara, found one person from Kaski, one from Syangja and two from Parbat infected.

Spokesperson Dr. Gautam said that 11 from Rupandehi, two from Pyuthan and one from Nawalparasi were found to have contracted coronavirus in tests at Provincial Public Health Laboratory at Rupandehi, in the test conducted at Lumbini Provincial Hospital, reports of two persons from Rupandehi came positive and tests conducted at Surkhet Provincial Hospital have confirmed infection in five people from Surkhet and one from Salyan.

In a test conducted in Dailekh Laboratory, 24 people from Dailekh were found infected, two people from Dadeldhura and seven people from Doti in tests at Dadeldhura Hospital and two persons from Kailali, one from Bajhang and 30 from Kanchanpur have been tested positive at Seti Provincial Hospital.

Spokesperson Dr. Gautam said that 3,481 samples were tested through the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method at 28 laboratories across the country.

Meanwhile, 156 COVID-19 patients were discharged from different hospitals and isolation centers.

So far, 12,840 people have been discharged across the country after recovery. The recovery rate in the country now stands at 70.39 percent.

Currently, 5,358 people are undergoing treatment and 20,098 have been quarantined.

Nepal’s COVID-19 death toll stands at 43.