COVID-19 cases in Nepal crossed 200 mark after the Ministry of Health and Population has reported 83 new cases, in the largest single day spike in cases.
The Himalayan country reported 57 cases in the afternoon and additional 26 cases at night on Tuesday, increasing the total count of the COVID-19 to 217, according to the reports.
With the rising number of cases in recent days, the COVID-19 cases in Nepal more than doubled in less than a week, according to the statistics of the Ministry of Health and Population.
Last week, the government extended the ongoing nationwide lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, until May 18, while the suspension of domestic and international flights will continue till May 31.
If the recommendations of the Ministry are adopted, 77 districts of the country would be divided into three clusters of red, yellow and green, depending on population density, geography, linkage to international border and number of coronavirus cases.
According to the ministry, among the new cases, 57 persons reside in southern Parsa district, nine live in south-western Rupandehi district and eight in the neighbouring Kapilvastu district.
“Most of persons who are newly infected with novel coronavirus are those who were in quarantine after visiting India. Some are infected due to frequent movement within the country,” Sameer Kumar Adhikari, joint spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population told Xinhua in the early hours of the day.
As the number of cases is rising sharply in recent days, Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday announced more stringent measures to discourage movement of people from one district to another by making it harder for people to get vehicle passes.
Nepal has been under lockdown since March 24 after the second COVID-19 case was reported.
Earlier, the government has also decided to set up quarantine facilities at provincial and local levels as a precautionary measure to provide quick treatment to people infected with the deadly virus.