KATHMANDU: Nepal on Thursday registered its highest single-day surge in the coronavirus cases with 156 new infections, taking the COVID-19 tally in the Himalayan nation to 1,042, the health ministry said.
Among the 156 newly infected people, 12 are women.
The newly confirmed COVID-19 patients were aged between 2 and 70, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.
Dhanusha, Jhapa and Rautahat districts, bordering India, have reported 29, 25 and 20 new cases respectively in the last 24 hours, it said.
Seventeen corona patients were detected from Mahottari, 14 each from Saptari and Surkhet, 8 from Dailekh, 7 from Sarlahi, 6 from Siraha, 3 each from Syangja and Bardiya, 2 each from Dolakha and Kailali, one each from Nawalpur, Solukhumbu, Bajhang, Darchula, Makawanpur and Banke districts, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, one more patient has died due to COVID-19 taking the death toll to 5.
A 56-year-old man with alcoholic liver disease, who died at a Lalitpur based hospital on Wednesday, has been diagnosed with coronavirus.
So far, PCR tests have been conducted on 60,696 people to detect coronavirus.
The number of patients recovered from the infection are 187, the ministry said.
The number of active corona patients currently undergoing treatment at different hospitals across the country stands at 850, it added.
The number of COVID-19 patients have been increasing in the recent weeks, as hundreds of Nepalese migrated to India for different reasons including employment are returning home.
The Nepal government is providing quarantine facilities to them near the border.
Nepal, which has extended its nationwide lockdown till June 2 to contain the spread of the deadly virus, is among the countries having the least number of COVID-19 cases.
Nepal has also extended the suspension on all domestic and international flights till June 14.
The surge in coronavirus cases has prompted the government to seal the Kathmandu Valley, imposing complete restriction on people entering the capital city.