By Ajita Rijal

Kathmandu, July 7: In 4,128 RT-PCR tests conducted in 25 laboratories across the nation in the last 24 hours, 180 new cases of COVID-19 were detected on Monday.
The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has confirmed 180 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. The ministry urged the people to follow guidelines and safety protocols to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Dr. Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson of the ministry, asked all the people to exercise safety precautions of using masks compulsorily while going out from home.
Meanwhile, 264 COVID-19 patients receiving treatment in various health facilities nationwide were discharged in the last 24 hours after recovering from the virus. Currently, there are 9,118 active cases of the virus in the country, and 29,215 persons are in quarantines.
With new cases, the national COVID-19 caseload has reached 15,964 including 6,811 cases of recovery and 35 deaths.
One more death
The MoHP confirmed yet another COVID-19 fatality taking the total death toll to 35.
“A 29-year-old-male, resident of Nisikhola Rural Municipality-3 in Baglung, who tested positive for the virus, passed away on Sunday,” said Dr. Gautam.
According to the Ministry, he had been staying at a quarantine facility in Dhorpatan Municipality of the district. He had returned to Nepal from India after receiving treatment for tuberculosis.
54 cases in Kathmandu Valley
The Kathmandu Valley is, of late, witnessing increasing number of cases of COVID-19 with 54 new cases on Monday alone.
“In the test conducted through RT-PCR method, 24 from Kathmandu, 20 from Lalitpur and 10 from Bhaktapur came out positive for the virus,” according to the ministry. With this, COVID-19 cases in the valley reached 237.
Dr. Gautam informed that 228 samples collected from Tinkune of Kathmandu and Nakhhudol of Lalitpur tested negative for the virus. The samples were tested to find whether the virus was spread in community level. Among the samples collected from 10 places of Kathmandu, results of these two places came out negative for the virus, said Dr. Gautam.
According to Dr. Gautam, the results of other swab samples collected from various places of Kathmandu Valley will be made public soon. Meanwhile, seven officials of the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) have tested positive for COVID-19.
According to Dipu Jwarchan, head of NAC Operations Division, swab samples of 14 officials were collected for RT-PCR tests out of which seven were found to be infected with the virus.  The report of other officials is yet to be received, said Jwarchan.“They must have been infected while evacuating Nepalis stranded abroad,” he added.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai wished for speedy recovery of the infected officials through his official Twitter handle.