Nepal on Friday reported 1,602 new PCR confirmed coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours taking the nationwide infection tally to 964,119.

Similarly, 924 people tested positive in a total of 4,418 antigen tests, according to the Health Ministry.

As of Friday, 5,263,830 PCR and 978,792 antigen tests have been carried out across the country.

A total of 6,655 PCR tests were performed in the past 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry.

Sixteen people died from Covid-19-related complications in the last 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry. The countrywide death toll has reached 11,794 since the pandemic began.

The number of active cases stands at 56,457 and the rate of infection positivity is 24.07 percent.

According to the World Health Organization, if the positivity rate, or the number of tests that return positive for every 100 tests, is more than 5 percent, the pandemic is supposed to be beyond control.

According to the ministry, 895,868 infected people have recovered from the disease so far; 8,425 of them in the last 24 hours.

Nepal, on January 7, had reported 24 new Omicron cases. Earlier in December, three Omicron cases were confirmed.

The Health Ministry said tests conducted on 250 samples from among the 1,146 infected in the Nepali month of Poush had shown S-gene dropouts. Gene-sequencing performed on 24 samples returned Omicron results in all of them.

Kathmandu Valley recorded 745 new infections in the past 24 hours. Of these, 570 cases were confirmed in Kathmandu, 120 in Lalitpur and 55 in Bhaktapur.

In the past 24 hours, 215 new infections were recorded in Province 1, 96 in Madhesh Pradesh, 909 in Bagmati, 193 in Gandaki, 127 in Lumbini, 32 in Karnali and 28 in Sudurpaschim.

According to the data released by the ministry, 15 districts are home to more than 500 active cases each and other 19 districts host more than 200 active cases each.

On Friday, 243 individuals infected with the virus were being treated in intensive care units across the country. Another 51—four in Province 1, one in Madhesh Pradesh, 39 in Bagmati, three each in Gandaki and Sudurpaschim and one in Lumbini—were on ventilator support.

Nepal on Thursday reported 2,742 new PCR confirmed coronavirus cases and 14 deaths. Similarly, 2,205 new PCR confirmed coronavirus cases and 12 deaths were reported on Wednesday and 3,657 new PCR confirmed coronavirus cases and nine deaths were recorded on Tuesday.

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