Kathmandu, July 21- The country has recorded 2,838 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours including 697 in the Kathmandu Valley. With this, the total caseload has hit 724,455 so far. The infection cases were detected from a total of 12,616 tests carried out in various laboratories across the country, said the Ministry of Health and Population at a press conference on Wednesday.

Similarly, 30 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll from the virus to 9,637.
Of the infected, the number of active infection cases is 26,932 while 636,402 have got over it, said joint spokesperson for the Ministry Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari, adding that the infection rate in Nepal is 19.2.

In the past 24 hours, 1,475 infected people have been free of the virus. With this, the total recovery number is 636,402. Of the total infected, 24,340 are in home isolation and 2,492 in institutional isolation. Similarly, 627 are receiving treatment at intensive care units and 171 on ventilator support. Of the infected reported in the Kathmandu Valley, Kathmandu district reported 490, Lalitpur 128 and Bhaktapur 79 new cases.

The scope of the tests for the virus should be increased so as to control the virus, he said. He pledged to ensure COVID-19 vaccines to all Nepali people and urged them to maintain physical distancing while in queue to get vaccinated against the virus. (RSS)