One hundred and eighty seven throat swab samples have tested negative for coronavirus in Sudur Paschim State so far. Throat swab samples were collected from 1,255 people as of Thursday.

The State is more at risk of coronavirus with the confirmation of four COVID-19 cases in the State before this and the high number of India-returnees.

At a media briefing here on Thursday, Narendra Singh Karki, chief officer of the Health Division at the Ministry of Social Development of the State Government, said 164 samples were under examination and their results were awaited.

Karki said the health of all four people infected by COVID-19, including a woman, who are under treatment at the State Hospital Dhangadhi was normal.

The throat swab samples of the 179 persons kept in quarantine in Kailali and 59 people in quarantine in Kanchanpur district were tested using the rapid diagnostic test kit.

On Thursday itself, a health team of Nepal Army and the Health Office has collected the throat swab samples of 197 suspected patients in Dadeldhura.

He said there were 2466 people, including 56 children, 170 women and 2,240 men, living in quarantine in various districts of the State as of Thursday.

Karki added that 17 people were in isolation wards in various hospitals while 56 people have returned home after general treatment. Corona test kits have been sent to all the nine districts of the State. The task of installing the RTPCR machine has also been started in Dhangadhi which will enable mass testing of samples.

WHO team expected

Meanwhile, a two-member team from the World Health Organisation (WHO) was expected to arrive here for facilitation and capacitating for managing COVID-19 pandemic in the State. The WHO team led by Dr Bhim Singh Tinkari is expected to arrive here in some days.