By Deepak Prasad Gautam, Birgunj, Aug. 2: As many as 45 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Parsa, taking the district COVID-19 caseload to 507.

According to Dr. Madan Upadhyaya, Medical Superintendent of Narayani Hospital, of the 45 newly identified COVID-19 patients, 14 were females and 31 were males, belonging to age group from five-year-old to 62-year-old.

The virus infection in 37 people was detected during contact tracing while seven persons had voluntarily undergone paid PCR tests, said Dr. Upadhyaya.  

Of the 45 new cases, test of 37 swab samples was done during contact tracing and seven had voluntarily undergone paid PCR test, said Dr. Upadhyaya.

As many as 43 newly identified virus patients are residents of Birgunj Metropolitan City (BMC) while one is from Sakhuwaprasauni Rural Municipality and one from Thori Rural Municipality.

The virus infection was detected in 16 persons of BMC-11, four of BMC-13, one each from BMC-3, 8 and 18, and five from BMC-25.

“People who come into direct contact with a lot of people such as shopkeepers, sound service technicians and teachers providing home tuition facilities with no travel history have tested positive for COVID-19,” said Jayamud Thakur, Health Inspector of Parsa Health Office.

Two family members of Mayor Sarawagi test COVID-19 positive

Meanwhile, in the first phase contact tracing of those who had come in direct contact with BMC Mayor Bijaya Sarawagi, who contracted to the virus infection, six persons including two family members have tested positive for the virus, informed Dr. Upadhyaya.

For the second phase, contact tracing of those who had come in direct contact with the Mayor, swab samples of BMC officials was collected on Saturday. Their PCR test report is yet to come.