Nepal confirms 3 new coronavirus cases

The Nepal government on Saturday confirmed three new coronavirus cases, including two patients who recently returned from India, taking the number of persons infected with the virus to nine.

Of the total COVID-19 cases, one patient has been cured, the Ministry of Health and Population said.

According to the ministry officials, the three new cases include a 21-year-old youth who recently returned from Mumbai and a 41-year-old man who came back from Uttarakhand.

The third person is a 34-year-old female, a relative of a male novel coronavirus patient. This is the first case when a person got infected within the country, officials said.

The Nepal government has imposed a lockdown until April 7 halting flights, ordering vehicles off the roads, shutting down businesses and shuttering major markets.

The Himalayan nation has suspended permits for all mountain expeditions on March 12, effectively closing its peaks.