Nepal's virus cases spike amid calls for easing curbs

KATHMANDU, Nepal

Nepal Monday reported 11 new COVID-19 fatalities, bringing the death toll to 300 while the total number of infections crossed 47,000 in the country, Health Ministry said.

Monday's fatalities included three women from the capital Kathmandu and others from the country's east and west, the ministry’s spokesman, Jageshwor Gautam, said at a news briefing.

A total of 47,236 people have been infected while 30,677 people have recovered from COVID-19 since the country found the first case on Jan. 24.

Over 770,000 tests have been carried out so far in the country of around 28 million population to detect the infections across the country, according to the ministry.

Nepal is in the third week of the second phase of lockdown restricting transport, shutting down offices and markets in the country's worst-hit towns and districts.

While infections and deaths have risen, business people have called on the government to ease the lockdown for businesses to recover from the economic fallout.