Nepal on Wednesday reported another highest single-day toll of 58 Covid-19-related deaths and a new record daily surge of coronavirus cases at 8,605.

The country saw record high daily coronavirus cases and deaths for two consecutive days. This is the first time since the beginning of the pandemic last year that the country has recorded over 8,000 new cases.

The country’s death toll now stands at 3,475.

According to the Health Ministry, 8,605 people tested positive in 20,756 polymerase chain reaction tests in the last 24 hours. That makes 41 percent of those tested returned positive results.

Similarly, 54 people tested positive in a total of 616 antigen tests.

The countrywide infection tally has now reached 359,610, with the number of active cases at 66,352.

According to the Health Ministry, 289,783 infected people have recovered from the disease so far–1,993 of them in the last 24 hours.

Kathmandu Valley recorded 3,825 new infections in the past 24 hours. Of them, 2,849 cases were confirmed in Kathmandu, 518 in Lalitpur and 458 in Bhaktapur.

In the past 24 hours, 4,519 new infections were recorded in Bagmati Province, 493 in Gandaki, 1,830 in Lumbini, 658 in Province 1, 498 in Province 2, 405 in Sudurpaschim and 202 in Karnali province.

As of Wednesday, 2,558,051 PCR tests have been carried out across the country.

Until Wednesday, 600 individuals infected with the virus were being treated in intensive care units across the country. 156 others—88 in Bagmati, 23 in Lumbini, 20 in Province 1, 11 in Sudurpaschim, 10 in Karnali, two each in Province 2 and Gandaki—were on ventilator support.

Nepal on Tuesday had recorded 55 Covid-19 related fatalities and 7,587 new cases. Similarly, 37 Covid-19-related deaths and 7,388 new cases were reported on Monday and 27 Covid-19 related fatalities and 7,137 new cases were recorded on Sunday.