Coronavirus cases in Nepal reach 51

Coronavirus cases in Nepal on Sunday rose to 51 after two more people tested positive for COVID-19, as the pandemic wreaked havoc on the Himalyan nation's economy.

Two men both aged 51 of Birgunj sub-metropolitan city have tested positive for coronavirus, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Population, Bikash Thapa said on Sunday.

With two more people testing positive, the total number of coronavirus infected patients has reached 51 in Nepal.

So far, coronavirus tests have been conducted on 9,931 people in the country. Of the total number of COVID-19 infected people, 16 have recovered.

On Saturday, four people, including three Indian nationals, who were residing in local mosques in Birgunj area, have been discharged from the hospital after they were successfully treated, according to the Health Ministry.

The Nepal government on Saturday restricted the operation of international and domestic flights until May 15 as a precautionary measure against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nepal's business sector is expected to suffer a loss of around USD 1.25 billion due to the halting of economic activities during the lockdown, said Umesh Lal Shrestha, Vice President Associate, Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

Nepal's tourism sector is the worst hit by the pandemic. The Hotel Association of Nepal has projected that the hotel business income will decline by 90 per cent in 2020 and has asked the government to adopt special measures to protect the industry.