Prem Subedi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, said that they haven't yet received any reports of COVID-19 transmission at the Everest base camp.

"But we are seriously concerned over media reports over growing COVID-19 cases. If true, we are aware of the damage it could bring to our reputation," Subedi said on Wednesday.

A team of tourism ministry officials and liaison officers plan to go to the base camp on Thursday.

Earlier on Wednesday, the BBC reported 17 cases of COVID-19 at the Everest base camp.

Spanish mountaineer Carlos Soria, 82, wrote on his Facebook page: "COVID-19 has reached our base camp. First positive cases have been detected since yesterday and are being evacuated by helicopter."

Last week Polish climber Pawel Michalski posted on his Facebook page: "More than 30 people have already been evacuated with propellers to Kathmandu, with suspicion of pulmonary edema - later found to be positive for coronavirus."

Both the climbers couldn't be reached for comment.

Last month, a Norwegian climber, who was rescued from base camp after coronavirus-related complications, had told the DPA news agency that he was aborting his mission after testing positive for the virus.

Australian Associated Press