9 new cases reported in Nepal's COVID-19 hotspot, country count at 40

Kathmandu [Nepal], April 21 (ANI): Nepal's COVID-19 hotspot, Udayapur district, on Tuesday recorded nine new cases, taking the nationwide count to 40.
The new cases are reported to be of local transmission as a mosque in Bhulke in the district has become the epicentre, where 12 Indians and a Nepali national were recently tested COVID-19 positive.
Eight samples of the locals residing around the mosque tested positive while undergoing a test at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) in Dharan.
"The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test conducted at BPKIHS on Tuesday showed eight samples positive with the virus. With this, the total number of cases in Udayapur district alone has reached 22," Jeevan Ghimire, Social Welfare Minister of Province No 1 told ANI over the phone.
"Earlier in the day, another sample which was tested in National Public Health Lab in Kathmandu had also tested positive for the virus. The sample was sent from here to the centre for the test," he said.
Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population, in its daily press briefing, on Tuesday afternoon confirmed a new case of COVID-19 in Udayapur district.
"The person is aged 33 and is male. He is currently admitted at Koshi Provincial Hospital in Biratnagar. The test was conducted at National Public Health Lab, Teku, Kathmandu," Dr Bikash Devkota, one of the spokesperson at Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population, said.
Devkota also had mentioned that reports of other samples were expected by evening as more samples were being cross checked at three places across the nation.
Till date, Nepal has reported 40 COVID-19 cases with five people recovered. The number of active cases in the Himalayan nation now stands at 35. (ANI)