The government draws the attention to this serious situation that if the spread continues in the same way, the country might face 1,000 COVID-19 cases within a week and 2,000 in 10 days. Multiple officials at the Ministry of Health and Population informed, the internal projection of the Covid-19 cases was made on the basis of the current increase rate of infected people and several risk factors.
“People are entering Nepal every day in thousands of numbers from India, and they are freely roaming throughout the country,” an official at the Health Ministry, told the Post. “Due to our inability to restrict the movement of people, the number of Covid-19 cases has increased, Dr Roshan Pokhrel, chief specialist at the Health Ministry, broadcasted.
Pokhrel exclaimed, “We will have problems when the number starts exceeding 1,000.We will have to send asymptomatic patients to their homes when the number starts to reach the 2,000 mark. In that scenario, health facilities will have to handle only serious cases.”
The cases have been rising since the lockdown boundaries were eased. 5,700 people entered the Valley daily through various entry points ever since May 8 to May 15. The officials at the ministry asserted, allowing people coming from India to enter the country without ensuring proper quarantine and monitoring system has also increased the risk of the disease in the country. So, the government had to confine the rules when 83 coronavirus cases were confirmed in a day.
The news from Dr. Khem Karki, advisor to Health Minister Bhanubhakta Dhakal,stated, we cannot restrict people from entering the country for an indefinite period, the Nepal Army has been tracking phones of people entering the Valley after the lockdown was eased to monitor their movement. It has also been inquiring about their travel history of these people.
Karki, elucidated, all countries across the globe are asking asymptomatic patients to stay at home. “We will have to do the same, as we all know that our health facilities cannot admit all infected people. Presently, we have been isolating all infected people in hospitals to lessen the spread of the disease and when the number rises we cannot isolate all of them.”
Dr Bikash Devkota, spokesperson for the Health Ministry informed if the COVID-19 cases increases to the point of hospital’s capacity and other health facilities then the patients will be admitted based on the severity of their condition.
