Four Indian Army Gurkha soldiers test COVID-19 positive in Nepal

Four Gurkha soldiers of the Indian Army who were visiting their home in Nepal have tested positive for the coronavirus at a quarantine centre in the country's eastern Sunsari district, officials said on Monday.

The Nepalese nationals from the Gurkha regiments of the Indian Army tested positive after their swab samples were collected at a quarantine facility in Dharan Municipality of Sunsari district in Eastern Nepal, Assistant Chief District Officer Mahesh Kumar Pokharel said.

The soldiers, aged around 40-45 years, were on leave and staying in the quarantine centre in Sunsari after returning home.

A large number of Nepalese nationals are serving in seven Gurkha regiments in the Indian Army.

The coronavirus cases in Nepal reached close to 23,000 while 75 people have died so far.

Nepal has a very low mortality rate of 0.3 per cent while the recovery rate is 71 per cent.