China has opened Mount Everest’s northern slope to a few dozen mountaineers who will be tested for the coronavirus before expedition.

With coronavirus cases still surging to record levels, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing growing pressure to impose a harsh lockdown.

India's COVID-19 tally reached 21,491,598 on Friday as a fresh high of 414,188 new cases were registered in the past 24 hours.

Another record high of 9,070 COVID-19 infections were reported in Nepal on Thursday.

Switzerland on Thursday sent a cargo aircraft carrying medical equipment, including 600 oxygen concentrators and 50 respirators to India.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed on Friday that the ban on travel from India would end on May 15.

The Ministry has also urged all to carry out health safety related activities and behaviours only as per the advice of the doctors.

The country has recorded additional 9070 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the caseload to a total of 368,580. 

Domestic and international flights are being banned from Thursday midnight in view of Covid-19 pandemic.

As many as 91 journalists associated to the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) under its corporate branches have contracted coronavirus.