COVID-19 in Nepal: Death toll passes 1,000 mark

KATHMANDU, Nepal

The coronavirus death toll in Nepal crossed the 1,000 mark, with the number of cases nearing 180,000, the country's Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Twenty-four more fatalities over the past 24 hours have raised the death toll to 1,004, while infections increased by 3,114 to reach 179,614, according to figures released by the ministry.

Last week, Nepal celebrated the country's largest festival of Dashain, which saw tens of thousands of people traveling home. Health experts had warned that the festival, celebrated by the country's Hindu majority, would cause the coronavirus to spread more.

Kathmandu, the country's crowded capital, accounts for the highest number of infections, with 18,000 active cases, according to the ministry.

Tuesday's nationwide COVID-19 tests stood at 11,166.

Experts had earlier warned that coronavirus cases would spike, with the increase in the number of tests after the week-long holiday.