By Ajita Rijal

Kathmandu, Apr. 25: The officials of the department of health and Nepal Army have been mobilised for the collection of throat swabs in all eight district of State 2. The samples will be collected from 17 different places of the State, said Dr Bikash Devkota, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), adding that round 1500 samples will be collected for testing through PCR method.
Meanwhile, the throat swabs of 78 were collected from Chaudandigadhi and Triyuga municipalities of Udayapur district and were sent to Koshi Hospital for testing through PCR.
A team has been deployed for tracing and trashing for the containment and prevention of COVID-19 virus at local levels.
The medical team includes lab technician, paramedic, nurses and public health officers. The team will be deployed in each local level for tracing, trashing and helping in the campaign to contain and control the spread of virus, said Dr Devkota.
49th COVID-19 patient traced
According to the ministry, the 49th case of COVID-19 has been conformed in Jhapa on Friday.
A 62-year-old patient was detected while testing at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan, the Ministry said.
Likewise, the 48th COVID-19 patient is being taken to Biratnagar from Bhojpur today.
Speaking at a daily media briefing, Dr Devkota said that the 48th COVID-19 case in the country was confirmed Thursday evening.
The infected, 26-year-old man had landed at Tribhuvan International Airport on March 13 from Saudi Arabia.
Briefing the travel history of the infected, Dr Devkota said that he reached Udayapur and returned to Bhojpur.
Initially, the man had tested positive for coronavirus through RDT method and re-test through PCR method had confirmed the COVID-19.
The ministry has informed that the swab collection of all the relatives and the people who came in contact with the infected had been carried out for testing.
As per the latest update, 49 people have been reported as positive for COVID-19 confirmed by test through PCR method. Ten infected people have recovered and discharged from the hospitals while the remaining 38 infected cases are receiving COVID-19 treatment in designated hospitals.
12,985 quarantined at various place
According to the ministry, a total of 3,791 sample tests were carried out within 24 hours through PCR and RDT methods.
Likewise, 38,089 tests have been conducted through Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and 9,407 sample tests through PCR for the COVID-19 till date. So far 47,496 tests have been conducted through both methods as of Friday.
According to the latest update, 3,929 tests were carried out in State 1. Likewise, in State 2 a total of 4,977 tests, in Bagmati State 7,143 tests, in Gandaki State, 4,783 and in State 5, a total of 2,874tests were carried out. Similarly, 4,870 tests were conducted in Karnali State and 9,513 tests in Sudhurpaschim State.
Meanwhile, 89 coronavirus suspects have been admitted to isolation wards of various hospitals. Among them, three are receiving treatment at isolation wards of the Kathmandu-based hospitals.
According to Dr Devkota, 12,985 were in quarantine throughout the nation on Friday. “The number of people in quarantine is increasing of late as people who had returned to their home town were kept in quarantine by the local authorities,” said Dr Devkota.
Pray from home: Ansari
Chairperson of the Muslim Commission Samim Miya Ansari requested all the community to pray and read Namaj from home.
Ansari asked the community to stay home during the festival, Rajman, which starts from tomorrow.
He requested all for rejecting all gathering at the festival time, due to the current coronavirus pandemic.
“This virus can spread anywhere and anytime, every community must be aware of it,” said Ansari.
He asked the community for not visiting the mosques and added that one can freely visit it after the containment of this epidemic.
Ansari informed that the commission with the help of MoHP has already started the testing for COVID-19 among the Muslim preachers at all the mosque throughout the nation. He also requested all for not relating the COVID-19 with any religion and community.