Kathmandu, Aug. 24: The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has confirmed 743 new cases of COVID-19 today.

In 10,234 Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testes done in the last 24 hours, as many as 743 persons, 497 males and 246 females were found with the virus infection, informed Dr. Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson of the ministry in the daily press briefing today.

The new cases were detected in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Ilam, Udayapur, Okhaldunga, Khotang, Jhapa, Dhankuta, Morang, Sankhuwasabha, Sunsari, Dhanusa, Parsa, Bara, Rautahat, Saptari, Sarlahi, Siraha, Kavre, Chitwan, Dolakha, Dhading, Makwanpur, Ramechhap, Sindhupalchowk, Kaski, Gorkha, Tanahun, Nawalparasi (East), Myagdi, Baglung, Syangja, Argakhanchi, Kapilvastu, Gulmi, Nawalparasi, Palpa, Bardiya, Banke, Rupandehi, Rolpa, Kalikot, Jajarkot, Rukum (West), Surkhet, Kanchanpur, Kailali, Dadeldhura, Darchula, Bajura and Baitadi.

Meanwhile, 175 COVID-19 patients receiving treatment in various health facilities across the nation were discharged in the last 24 hours after recovering from the virus infection. The recovery rate now stands 58 at per cent.

Currently, there are 13,715 active cases of COVID-19 of which 9,154 patients are in institutional isolation and 4,561 are in home isolation. Some 11,275 persons, mostly who had returned from abroad, are placed in quarantine.

Of the active virus patients, 138 are admitted to ICU and 15 are receiving treatment in ventilator facility.

With this, the national COVID-19 tally has reached 32, 678 including 18,806 cases of recovery and 157 death cases.