Surkhet, May 19 : The first case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Karnali State on Monday. The province reported its first coronavirus infection after about four months such case was found in the country.    
According to the Karnali State Health Directorate, a 35-year-old male from Sattala of Aathbiskot municipality-1 tested positive to the deadly virus. The swab sample collected from this man was tested in the health laboratory in Surkhet on Monday. He had come from India a week back. The sample was was also send to the Bheri Hospital laboratory in Nepalgunj for retest. It tested positive for coronavirus there also and the COVID-19 infection was confirmed in this person. He is now kept in isolation at the municipality and his health is normal, the Directorate stated.    
It is said the person used to work at a cold store in Agra of India. He had come to Banbasa, the border transit in the west of Kanchanpur district on a vehicle belonging to the cold store. He stayed in quarantine for 35 days in Banbasa. The man along with other Nepalis was rescued from Banbasa coordinating with the local level and send to the related municipalities after the Indian side forcibly send them to Nepal on completion of their quarantine period.    
Aathbis municipality-1 ward chair Parba Singh Bishwokarma said 39 people including the person testing positive were rescued from Mahendranagar and brought to Sattala on May 14 on a reserved bus. They were all kept in quarantine at Sattala.