Nepal’s Covid-19 tally reached 50,465 on Thursday with 1,246 new cases reported in the past 24 hours. The country reported five more Covid-19-related fatalities to take the death toll to 317.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, the active case count stands at 14,448. So far, 35,700 individuals have made successful recovery— 1,818 of them in the past 24 hours.

The Kathmandu Valley recorded 572 new infections, most for a single day so far, with 495 in Kathmandu, 43 in Lalitpur and 34 in Bhaktapur districts. As of Thursday, the number of cases in the Valley has reached 10,012. A total of 7,514 cases were detected after the prohibitory orders came into effect on August 19 midnight.

The restrictions have been extended until September 17, with some relaxations.

“Four men and a woman died of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours,” Dr Jageshwar Gautam, spokesperson for the ministry, said during a regular press briefing.

Among the deceased, a 55-year-old woman, a 59-year-old man and an 83-year-old man were from Kathmandu while two others aged 62 and 29 years were from Chitwan and Kapilvastu districts respectively.

The country has recorded 32,471 infections and 277 deaths since July 22. There were 17,994 cases and 40 Covid-19-related deaths until July 21, when the government decided to end the nationwide lockdown after four months.

According to the ministry, 108 individuals from Province 2, 95 from Bagmati Province, 47 from Province 5, 34 from Province 1, 18 from Gandaki Province, 10 from Sudurpaschim Province, and five from Karnali Province have died of the disease so far.

As of Thursday, the government has carried out 810,485 PCR tests across the country.

“A total of 11,144 PCR tests were carried out in the past 24 hours,”said Gautam.

In the past 24 hours, 495 individuals in Kathmandu, 70 in Banke, 51 in Rupandehi, 44 in Kapilvastu, 43 in Lalitpur, 42 in Sarlahi, 37 in Nawalparasi (West), 36 in Kavre, 35 each in Saptari and Makwanpur, 34 in Bhaktapur, 29 in Palpa, 27 in Dhanusha, 23 in Sunsari, 22 in Sankhuwasabha, 21 each in Kaski and Kailali, 18 in Chitwan,17 in Bara, 16 in Morang, 12 in Syangja, 11 each in Jhapa and Parsa, and 10 in Bardiya, tested positive for the coronavirus infection.

Infections were also recorded in nine people in Baglung, eight in Nawalparasi (East), seven in Gulmi, six each in Rukum (West) and Salyan, five each in Tanahun and Surkhet, four each in Panchthar and Dang, and three each in Bhojpur, Dolakha and Dhading.

Likewise, two persons each in Ilam, Udayapur, Rautahat, Ramechhap, Parbat and Arghakhanchi, and one each in Khotang, Siraha, Nuwakot, Sindhupalchok, Sindhuli, Gorkha, Lamjung, Rolpa, Doti, Bajura and Baitadi also tested positive for the virus.

“Five districts—Sunsari, Sarlahi, Kathmandu, Chitwan and Rupandehi—have more than 500 active cases,” Gautam said. “Seven districts— Solukhumbu, Manang, Mustang, Humla, Mugu, Myagdi and Dolpa—don’t have any active cases.”

“As of Thursday, 165 Covid-19 patients were being treated in intensive care units across the country and 21 patients—20 in Bagmati and one in Province 5—are on ventilator support.”

Nepal reported six Covid-19-related deaths and 1,081 new infections on Wednesday compared to six deaths and 902 new cases on Tuesday and 11 deaths and 979 new infections on Monday.