Eight people residing in the Bhulke mosque area of Udayapur, where 12 people were found to have been infected by COVID-19, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS).

Additional test of the swab samples of eight people in the PCR method is underway as, in the first phase, they tested positive for the COVID-19," informed Gyan Bahadur Basnet, chief of Morang district public health office and State 1 information center relating to COVID-19.

He said that the swab samples were sent to BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan.

According to RSS, the eight people of different families had tested positive for the virus in the test at Koshi Hospital.

The Nepali Army has already collected swab samples of other family members of the infected people.

With this, number of COVID-19 patients in Nepal has jumped to 39. However, the Ministry of Health and Population is yet to confirm the latest 8 cases as reported in Bhulke mosque area in Udayapur district.