KATHMANDU, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Nepal has recorded over 100 deaths from COVID-19 so far, according to Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population on Saturday.
"Death toll from the pandemic reached 102 after three new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours," Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson at the ministry told Xinhua on Saturday.
On May 16, Nepal reported the first death from the pandemic. A 29-year-old woman was the first to die from the pandemic in Nepal.
Until July 21 since the first death, Nepal reported a total of 40 deaths. But, after the lockdown was lifted on July 22 allowing almost all economic and social activities to operate largely without restrictions, death toll also started to climb rapidly along with resurging in COVID-19 cases.
In just over three weeks since the lockdown was lifted, the COVID-19 deaths surpassed 100.
"After the lockdown was lifted, the pandemic spread among all groups of people including young, elderly and the people with existing conditions which resulted in high number of deaths," Gautam told Xinhua over the telephone.
"Before the lockdown, most of the COVID-19 cases were confined among the Nepali migrant workers; most of them were in working age with relatively stronger immunity."
According to the health ministry, infection rate is relatively lower now compared to that a month ago. Infection rate now is 4-6 percent compared to 8-9 percent a month ago, the ministry said.
But Gautam said that the spread of the pandemic among the people suffering from diabetes and kidney problems among others, contributed to a higher number of deaths in the recent days.
On August 12, the health ministry confirmed the record-high single day fatality of eight deaths due to COVID-19. Along with the rise in deaths, the number of critical COVID-19 cases is also on the rise. On Saturday, the ministry reported 102 critical patients who have been kept at intensive care units and those at ICU with support of ventilators.
According to Gautam, the main reason behind the resurging in COVID-19 cases in Nepal in the recent days is that people are ignoring the call to stay at home and not using the face masks while going outside.
A recent survey by the Nepal Health Research Council in Kathmandu Valley showed that only 72 percent of people surveyed were found to have used the face masks while going outside. The ministry on Saturday reported 468 new cases as total COVID-19 cases in Nepal reached 26,019. Enditem
