Nepal to widen scope of COVID-19 testing as cases surge: PM Oli

Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Monday said the government would expand the scope of the COVID-19 testing by at least examining two per cent of the country's population as the country has witnessed a surge in the number of coronavirus cases.

Nepal on Monday registered its highest single-day spike in the coronavirus cases with 79 new infections, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 682 in the country.

Nepal, which has extended its nationwide lockdown till June 2 to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus, is among the nations that has the least number of cases of the deadly COVID-19 with four deaths.

In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Oli said that his government is doing its best to prevent and control the spread of the coronavirus.

Today we are conducting COVID-19 tests at 20 labs across the country even though we had just one lab facility in the beginning, he said.

Oli said his government would expand the scope of the COVID-19 testing and the tests would be done on at least two per cent of the country's population, which stands at 30 million.

Oli said the Nepal government is working to increase the number of quarantine facilities by utilising the hotels and public infrastructures which are now not being used.

Nepal's status in battling the COVID-19 is satisfactory, Oli said, adding that the government is sensitive toward the problems facing Nepalese in foreign countries and will chalk out a plan to repatriate them.

During the address, Oli attributed the very low mortality rate of COVID-19 among the Nepalese people to their strong will power and eating habit.