Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said on Tuesday that the government’s efforts to prevent deaths due to Covid-19 failed.

“Our efforts were aimed at not letting anyone die of the coronavirus,” said Oli while addressing Tuesday’s meeting of the Parliament. “But our efforts failed due to various reasons, as two people have already died.”

A 29-year-old postpartum woman who died on Thursday on the way to Dhulikhel Hospital from her home village in Barhabise of Sindhupalchok was confirmed the first Covid-19 fatality in the country.

The Health Ministry said on Saturday that the woman had contracted the virus.

A day later, the Health Ministry confirmed a second fatality from the coronavirus.

A 25-year-old man from Banke died on Sunday at a quarantine facility at Narainapur of the district.

Oli, however, maintained that there could be some other reasons for the deaths.

“Other complications rather than the coronavirus could be the causes of the deaths,” said Oli. “But as per the World Health Organization, if the deceased have contracted the virus, we have to consider such deaths as Covid-19 deaths even if they die of any other reason.”

The prime minister claimed that the government is on high alert to prevent Covid-19 deaths and virus spread.

“The government’s focus is on conducting more and reliable tests, making quarantine facilities more reliable and managing the isolation facilities,” said Oli

Reports from several districts across the country have been coming about poor quarantine facilities. In Province 5, quarantine facilities are crowded and mismanaged.