Birat Anupam, Itahari, May 19:  The Itahari Sub-Metropolitan City has sealed off ward number 2 and 3 after a local youth tested positive to Corona Virus. The 18-year-old youth's throat swab tested through the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method at the Dharan-based B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences on Monday.    

The youth reportedly came in contact with a COVID-19 patient while taking part in a marriage procession in Dharan, shared Harka Bahadur Magar, the chairperson of Itahari Ward Number 2. Magar said the youth came from Khotang some six months ago and was here preparing for recruitment as a British Gurkha solider.    

''According to his relatives, he was suffering from fever since the past 20 days and had been approaching shamans and some local clinics'', said Magar. He added, ''We have urged the state government for his contact tracing and testing of all associated people.'' Magar said the sealing off of the ward would be in effect until May 24.    

Meanwhile, as of Tuesday afternoon, State-1 has seen 54 proven COVID-19 cases including 33 from Udayapur, 12 from Jhapa, three each from Morang and Sunsari and one each from Bhojpur, Dhankuta and Khotang. According to Corona Information Desk under the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers of State-1, so far 17 have recovered from this respiratory contagion.    

As of Tuesday afternoon, State-1 has carried out 3,161 Polymerase Chain Reaction tests and 9,473 Rapid Diagnostic Tests. Testing facilities are available in Dharan as well as in the headquarters Biratnagar.