Nepal reports record high single-day Covid-19 cases

Kathmandu, Aug 28 (IANS) Nepal reported 1,100 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, a record high number of single-day infections in the Himalayan country.

"With 1,111 new cases in the last 24 hours, the overall caseload has reached 35,529," Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population, told a press conference on Thursday.

The previous single-day high was on August 18 with 1,016 cases, reports Xinhua news agency.

Although Nepal had been witnessing a sharp decline in cases since July 3, the infections started to surge once again after the government ended the lockdown on July 22, allowing almost all economic and social activities to resume.

"Now, the infection rate is growing rapidly day by day and it is estimated to grow further in the upcoming few days," said Gautam.

"So, the government is increasing tests in the areas where there is more risk of infections."

He said the country is facing more challenges due to the resurgence in the number of cases which have spread among the communities.

In the initial months of outbreak, most of the cases were confined among the migrant Nepali workers who had returned home and were housed in several quarantine centers.



The authorities have blamed the surge on people who were not following health protocols and going out without face masks.

The capital Kathmandu has emerged as the new hotspot of the pandemic, with the Kathmandu Valley alone detecting 377 new cases on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry also confirmed eight new Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total toll to 183.