Nepal lawmakers being tested for coronavirus ahead of Parliament session

All lawmakers in Nepal are being tested for the novel coronavirus as a precautionary measure ahead of the Parliament's budget session beginning on Friday.

The swab samples of House of Representatives (Lower House) and National Assembly (Upper House) members were collected for testing through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, at the Parliament building on Thursday, according to officials.

Preparations have begun to run the Parliament session by adopting necessary safety measures including social distancing. Similarly, health check-up will be conducted on those entering the Parliament building, the officials said.

Special preparations have been made to ensure the safety of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who has recently undergone kidney transplantation for the second time.

The number of COVID-19 patients in Nepal remained unchanged at 99 on Thursday.

The health authorities have so far conducted PCR tests on 14,509 people to confirm the novel coronavirus infection.