Kathmandu, Oct 10: The COVID-19 infection rate has decreased 60 per cent in the country in past one month, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.

The number of active infection cases has dropped to 15,942 in the first week of Nepali month of Asoj from 40,338 in the first week of Bhadra, said the Ministry's Spokesperson Dr Krishna Prasad Poudel.

He attributed COVID-19 vaccines to a drop in the infection rate. Other factors that have contributed included compliance with the health protocols against the deadly virus.

On Saturday alone, 760 infection cases were reported from the total 12,031 tests, which is significantly low, he said. At present, the infection rate is seven per cent of the total tests, he added.

The active caseloads on October 9 were 15,340. The districts that have recorded over 500 infection cases include Morang, Sunsari, Jhapa, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kaski and Rupandehi.

The infection rate is 18.7 per cent and the recovery rate is 96.7. To meet the goals of vaccinating 33 per cent population until 14 October, 40 per cent of the population has been administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines and 32 per cent full dose, said Dr Poudel. A total of 8,702,705 people have been administered the first dose and 6,962,164 full doses.

The government aims to administer vaccines to over 21 million above 18 years of age. So far, a total of 775,072 infected people have been free of the virus and the death toll from the infection has hit 11,221.

Three hundred seven infected people have been admitted into intensive care units of various hospitals across the country and 113 are on ventilator support. Similarly, 14,168 are in home isolation, 1,172 in institution isolation and 236 at various quarantine facilities.