AdvertisementClimbers have been scaling Mount Everest in record numbers this spring, forming queues to the summit amid a surge in coronavirus cases and fears they are spreading a new Nepalese strain across the globe. This season Nepal issued a record 408 permits, worth about £3 million, to ascend Everest, even as China kept its side of the mountain closed. Mount Everest has issued a record number of permits, worth around £3 million, after last year's peak season was ruined by coronavirusDozens of climbers are lined up close to the summit of Mount Everest in Nepal on May 12. Expedition organisers have also self-censored, leaving no way to estimate the actual number of cases among Everest climbers and guides. Despite precautions that teams have tried to take - including masking, sanitising and isolating - the virus began to spreadTents are seen at Camp 2 of Mount Everest as climbing continued despite a massive peak in Covid cases

Source: Daily Mail June 07, 2021 08:14 UTC