Kathmandu, May 18 

The coronavirus cases in Nepal on Monday crossed the 300 mark after nine more patients were tested positive for the COVID-19, a health official said.

Seven men aged between 21 and 30 from the country’s southern Rautahat district were found to be coronavirus positive, the health ministry said in a statement.

Two cases were reported from Bara district where a 28-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man were taken to a hospital for treatment.

With these new cases, the total number of COVID-19 cases has jumped to 304 in the country, the ministry said, adding that 36 patients have recovered from the disease so far.

The deadly contagion has killed two persons.

A 25-year-old man, who was staying in a quarantine facility after returning from India on May 12, died on Sunday due to COVID-19, becoming the second casualty of the novel coronavirus in the country.

On Sunday, the authorities extended the nationwide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus until June 2, a day after the country reported its first COVID-19 death.

A high-level committee for the prevention and control of COVID-19 had recommended to extend the lockdown for another 15 days in view of the rising number of the coronavirus cases.

The lockdown, which was first enforced in the country on March 24, was to end on Monday midnight.