POKHARA: A 70-year-old woman undergoing treatment at Charak Hospital in Pokhara has died from COVID-19 after battling the infection for nearly a month.

She was admitted with respiratory complications and later tested positive for the virus. Her condition worsened, leading to her death on Sunday, confirmed Khim Bahadur Khadka, Director General of the Gandaki Province Health Directorate.

The woman had underlying health issues, including high blood pressure and diabetes. Her PCR test was conducted at the Public Health Laboratory in Gandaki. This is the first COVID-19-related death in the province in almost two and a half years.

Health officials have noted a recent increase in COVID-19 cases in Gandaki. In Kaski, five new infections were recorded, along with two in Baglung and one in Syangja, totaling eight new cases in the province.

COVID-19 tests are currently being conducted at multiple facilities, including the Provincial Public Health Laboratory, Western Regional Hospital, and Dhaulagiri Hospital in Baglung.

The virus has been detected even among patients without severe symptoms, according to Khadka.