BIRGUNJ, Jan 8: The scope of COVID-19 tests in all major border entry points with India in Parsa district have been expanded amid growing risk of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Nepal shares an open border with India where the infection of the new variant has been increasing. Keeping in view of the growing threats, security in all transit points with India has been tightened and scope of tests has been expanded, said Chief District Officer Umesh Kumar Dhakal.

A health desk has also been set up at local levels in the district in line with the decision of the district COVID-19 crisis management centre, he said.

Similarly, in view of the risk of new variant of COVID-19, the respective health offices have been asked not to grant leave to their health workers. COVID-19 vaccines and safety equipment like facemask and sanitizers have been distributed.

Meanwhile, 25 swab samples have been sent to Kathmandu for genomic sequencing to verify Omicron variants. The 25 people aged between 35 to 60 years, most of them Indian nationals, were tested positive at the laboratory of Narayani Hospital in Birgunj.

The swab samples have been sent to the National Public Health Laboratory, Teku, said chief of the laboratory of the hospital, Dr Prabhakar Pandey.

 
• Omicron
 
• COVID-19
 
• Nepal-India_border