By Belina Thapa, Lamjung, Apr. 11: 31 Nepalis who had returned to Lamjung after March 14 from India, UAE and various other countries have tested negative for COVID-19.

Throat swabs of the 31 returnees were sent to Kathmandu and Pokhara for COVID-19 test from Lamjung District Communicty Hospital, said Laxman Bahadur Khadka, Chief District Officer (CDO) of Lamjung.

"Currently, 210 people have returned to Lamjung from abroad," said CDO Khadka. "Some are staying in home quarantine while others are in quarantine made by the local levels."

The District Administration Office, Lamjung, in coordination with local levels, had identified the foreign returnees and collected their throat swabs for test.  

Assistant CDO, Anil Kumar Shahi, who is also the coordinator of district-level Quick Response Team (QRT), said that the throat swabs were collected in a short time.

According to Shahi, the throat swabs of three people, who had came to Nepal by the same plane in which a COVID-19 infected person from UAE was also coming, were collected on March 29 and sent to National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), Kathmandu.

"Other tests after March 29 are being done in Pokhara," he added.

The administration, local level and health workers in Lamjung have been actively striving to identify potential COVID-19 patients and collect their throat swabs for testing.

The local levels have managed eight ambulances to make it smooth and easy for the treatment of COVID-19 suspects and patients.

Currently, two persons are in isolation in Lamjung.