By Siraj Khan, Nepalgunj, Aug. 6: As many as 28 persons of Banke district have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the district tally to 498.

Community transmission of the infection has long been seen in the district and the latest cases indicate the transmission is one the rise.

Ram Bahadur Kurumbang, Chief District Officer (CDO) of Banke, informed that all 28 persons found infected are common people who have been mixing up with the other people in the community.

Of the 28 infected, 25 are from Nepalgunj and 3 are from Khajura, he said, 16 of the infected are males while 12 are females.

Lately, virus infection is detected in police, government employees, prison inmates and shopkeepers in Banke.

Naresh Shrestha, Corona focal person at Banke District Health Office, 28 infected people were detected on Thursday through contact tracing of the recently found COVID-19 patients who lived in the community.

He said that situation of Nepalgunj had become very serious as about 100 COVID-19 cases were recorded only in the period of a week.

25 sent to quarantine for violating prohibitory order

Cases of violation of prohibitory order in the district have also increased despite the fact that it was enforced after community transmission of COVID-19 was found on the rise in the district.

Following widespread public complaint that the restrictions were not duly followed by the people, CDO Kurumbang and Chief of Nepal Police in Banke district, SP Om Bahadur Rana, themselves came out to the road for inspection.

During the inspection, 25 people who violated the prohibitory order were sent to the quarantine, and according to the police, those sent to the quarantine would be released after 14 days.