Nepal confirms 1st death of child from COVID-19

The Nepali government on Sunday confirmed the death of a two-year-old girl from COVID-19, in the first ever case of death of a child from the pandemic in the Himalayan country.

It is the eighth death from the COVID-19 in Nepal. Earlier, the Nepali government had reported the death of six men and a woman after suffering from the novel coronavirus.

Bikas Devkota, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population, said at a regular press briefing on Sunday that the two-year-old girl from far-western Bajura district, died at District Hospital in Bajura on Sunday after suffering from the virus.

The Himalayan country witnessed all eight deaths in the space of the last 17 days as May emerged as the deadly month in the country.

Guna Raj Awasthi, chief of the Regional Health Directorate in Sudurpaschim Province in far-west Nepal, told Xinhua on Sunday that the deceased child's mother was also tested positive for COVID-19, but her father was tested negative.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Population confirmed 166 new cases of COVID-19 as the total count of cases reached 1,567. "Of the new cases, 162 are men and four are women," said Devkota.

It is the fifth day in a row that Nepal witnessed more than 100 cases. After the slow start, Nepal recorded 1,510 cases only in May, according to the ministry.

As the number of cases is rising rapidly, the Nepali government on Saturday decided to extend the lockdown till June 14, and continue to suspend cross-border movement of people and air travels till June 30.